Dolly Parton International: State Rep Supports Bill Renaming Nashville Airport

Tennessee’s Todd Warner vows to introduce legislation in support of a new moniker.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

An aerial view of downtown Nashville's cityscape. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

A Tennessee state representative has pledged to introduce legislation to rename Nashville International Airport after country music icon Dolly Parton, who recently passed away.
A public petition advocating for the renaming experienced a significant surge, reaching over 90,000 signatures, following Parton's death.
While the proposal has political support, existing airport policy requires individuals to be deceased for at least two years before a building can be named after them, setting an earliest date of August 2028 for the change.
Renaming the airport is estimated to cost around $10.34 million for rebranding, including new signage, merchandise, and uniforms.

See a mistake? Contact us.

A Tennessee state representative appears to have lent support for renaming Nashville International Airport (KBNA) after country singer Dolly Parton, who died at age 80 in Music City on Tuesday.

A petition started by two Nashville residents in early 2025 to rename Nashville International after Parton had only a few thousand supporters earlier this week. Following Parton’s death, the petition has spiked to more than 90,000 signatures as of Wednesday.