Red State Plans to Honor Dolly Parton With Airport Name

Tennessee officials are pushing to rename Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton, weeks after her death on Aug. 25. Gov. Bill Lee’s office said Friday it is working with the airport on a proposal that would turn BNA into a permanent tribute.

The idea is older than the mourning period. An online petition launched in January 2025 had passed 150,000 signatures by last Friday. Celebrities, lawmakers, and city officials have piled on.

🚨 NOW: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is moving to RENAME Nashville International Airport for Dolly Parton — with 155K+ signing a petition supporting the move

This is a great idea!

"The city will take up the proposal next month." 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/YWd2Voy4c0

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 28, 2026

Lee’s staff spoke with Parton’s team this week. Her representatives were described as “touched by the idea and open to continuing the conversation,” and grateful for the “extraordinary outpouring of support.” They also said she “still has a special way of bringing people together for good.”

Lee cast the rename as a fit for the state’s busiest welcome mat. “Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” he said. “From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her.” At the airport that greets the world, he said, travelers should meet “the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness.”

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority still has to act. It has a naming policy, and the proposal is slated for the board’s Sept. 17 meeting. Lawmakers are lining up bills as well, including one to rename the airport and another to make Sept. 25 “9 to 5 Day.” More measures are expected when the General Assembly returns in January.

Airport CEO Doug Kreulen called BNA “the front door to Music City.” “Dolly’s remarkable legacy reminds us that what makes Nashville special is our ability to welcome people from every walk of life,” he said. “She understood that dignity, kindness, and opportunity should never be defined by where you come from or your socioeconomic status.”

Mayor Freddie O’Connell backed the change as a “love letter to Dolly.” Parton had been working with the city on a hotel and museum she called SongTeller — “her love letter to Nashville,” he said. “Now it’s our turn.”

Support has crossed party lines. Metro Councilman Jordan Huffman said he “could think of no better name.” State Sen. Heidi Campbell, a Nashville Democrat, said she would “love to see this happen. It just has to happen the right way, and Dolly, of all people, deserves it done right.”

If the board and the paperwork line up, millions of travelers would land under Parton’s name. Until Sept. 17, the honor is a plan — not yet painted on the terminal.