Dolly Parton’s name is moving closer to the front door of Nashville.
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority voted unanimously, 6 to 0, on September 11 to begin the process of modifying Nashville International Airport’s name in honor of the late country music legend. In its official statement, the authority emphasized that the final name has not yet been determined.
The vote came 17 days after Parton died in Nashville at 80. Support for putting her name on the airport surged after her death, while Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and members of the Metro Council have all backed the tribute.
Travelers will not immediately begin booking flights into an airport called “Dolly Parton International Airport.” The September 11 vote starts a process that still requires consultation with Parton’s estate, an implementation timeline, estimated costs and other approvals before any change is completed.
The 6 to 0 Vote Started the Process, but the Final Name Is Still Open
It’s official! The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners voted unanimously, 6 to 0, to modify our existing naming policy, marking the first step toward renaming Nashville International Airport® in honor of Dolly Parton. pic.twitter.com/e1N7oF6PBo
— Fly Nashville (@Fly_Nashville) September 11, 2026
The board’s action directs airport leadership to begin working toward a name change honoring Parton while consulting her estate and other parties involved in the process. Airport officials said they expect to provide more detailed plans for implementation in the coming months.
One name has already received formal political backing. Nashville’s Metro Council adopted a resolution requesting that the airport be renamed “Dolly Parton International Airport.”
The Airport Authority has not committed to that wording. Its September 11 statement says only that officials are working to determine how Parton’s “name and legacy will be incorporated.”
The board resolution also directs President and CEO Doug Kreulen to develop a timeline and implementation plan, determine the expected costs and work with Parton’s estate. Airport officials told the Associated Press that the overall process could take a year or longer.
The Airport Changed a Two Year Waiting Rule
Parton’s death presented an immediate problem under the authority’s existing naming rules. Policy 33-006 generally required an honoree to have been dead for at least two years before an airport building, facility, space or street could be named for that person.
Rather than waiting until 2028, the board modified the policy as part of the September 11 action. The Metro Council had already asked the authority to make an exception, arguing that Parton’s impact on Nashville’s music industry, tourism, philanthropy and international identity justified moving more quickly.
Parton had previously resisted similarly large public honors while she was alive. When Tennessee lawmakers proposed erecting a statue of her on the state Capitol grounds in 2021, she asked them to withdraw the legislation.
At the time, Parton said she was honored by the proposal but felt it was inappropriate amid the challenges facing the world. She left open the possibility that a statue might be appropriate “somewhere down the road several years from now or perhaps after I’m gone.”
The Proposal United Officials Fighting Over Control of the Airport
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The effort has produced an unusual point of agreement in Nashville because the airport itself is at the center of a long running political and legal dispute.
Tennessee’s Republican controlled state government and Nashville’s Democratic city government have been fighting over who controls the airport since 2023. The conflict produced competing versions of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, with state and city backed boards gaining and losing control as court rulings changed.
Despite that larger fight, both sides support honoring Parton. The Associated Press reported that the state controlled board approved beginning the renaming process while O’Connell and the competing city controlled authority also support the change.
Stuart McWhorter, a member of the state controlled board and a deputy to Lee, even invoked Parton’s reputation as a unifying figure during the September 11 meeting, suggesting that officials use the moment to move beyond some of their litigation and work together.
The Public Campaign Started Before Parton’s Death
The airport campaign did not begin with Parton’s death. Fan Lydia Popovich launched a Change.org petition in January 2025 after another effort sought to rename the airport for Donald Trump.
Parton had reportedly been reluctant to embrace the airport idea while she was alive, much as she had resisted the Capitol statue. After her death on August 25, however, support accelerated rapidly, and the petition passed 175,000 signatures.
If the airport ultimately carries Parton’s name, the Associated Press reports that she would become the first woman to have one of the 50 busiest airports in the United States named in her honor.
Popovich attended the September 11 board meeting and became emotional after the unanimous vote. Speaking afterward about the campaign and the loss of Parton, she summed up what supporters hope the airport tribute will accomplish: “Now we get to celebrate her and get to tell the world how much Tennessee loved her.”