Story perspectives

Nashville International Airport to Be Renamed for Dolly Parton

8/29/2026

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Lee Renames Airport

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority announced on Aug. 28, 2026 that Nashville International Airport will be renamed for Dolly Parton.
The rebranding is projected to cost $10.34 million and would be financed from the airport’s operating budget.
The authority will review the proposal at its Sept. 17 meeting, debating the two-year-posthumous rule.
A Change.org petition started Jan. 2025 has gathered over 150,000 verified signatures supporting the name change.

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Lee Renames Airport

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Metro Nashville Airport Authority announced plans to rename Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton on August 28, 2026.
Supporters say the rename would make Parton the first woman to have a U.S. airport named after her, a representation milestone.
Governor Bill Lee said Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is woven into the fabric of Tennessee.
More than 150,000 fans have signed an online petition urging the airport’s renaming.

History

Historical Context

After New York’s Idlewild Airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International on December 24 1963 to honor the assassinated president, the change created a model for commemorative airport naming. Tennessee’s Governor Bill Lee and the Nashville Airport Authority now propose renaming Nashville International for Dolly Parton, echoing the 1963 tribute; JFK recorded a peak 403,981 airline operations in 1967.

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Lee Renames Airport

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority announced on Aug. 28, 2026 that Nashville International Airport will be renamed for Dolly Parton.
The rebranding is projected to cost $10.34 million and would be financed from the airport’s operating budget.
The authority will review the proposal at its Sept. 17 meeting, debating the two-year-posthumous rule.
A Change.org petition started Jan. 2025 has gathered over 150,000 verified signatures supporting the name change.

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