A push by fans to rename Nashville’s airport for Dolly Parton appears to be taking flight just days after the country music icon’s death at age 80.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority both came out in favor of the name change Friday. It is expected to come up at the authority’s meeting next month.
Long before Parton died this week, fans in January 2025 started an online petition calling for officials to rename Nashville International Airport in her honor. It got renewed attention following Parton’s death, jumping to more than 155,000 signatures Friday.
A Fitting Tribute
“At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness,” Lee said in a statement.
The governor said he has already discussed the idea with representatives for Parton.
The change would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America’s 50 busiest airports.
Celebrity Airport Names
A number of American airports bear the names of beloved celebrities, from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. New Orleans’ airport was renamed for jazz icon Louis Armstrong in 2001.
The vast majority of US airports named for a person honor men. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, is one exception. Another is Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport in Atchison, Kansas.
The Policy Hurdle
Putting Parton’s name on the Nashville airport could require its governing authority to revisit its policy for such honors, which states that airport properties should only be named for people who have been dead for at least two years.
The governor’s office said his proposal and the naming policy will be discussed by the airport authority at its meeting September 17.
Dolly Parton’s Legacy
Born in poverty in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Parton became an icon whose popularity crossed generational, geographic, and political boundaries. In addition to writing and recording hit songs such as “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” she starred in Hollywood films including “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias.”
The Bottom Line
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has backed a proposal to rename Nashville International Airport for Dolly Parton following her death this week. A petition has gathered more than 155,000 signatures. The change would make Parton the first woman to have her name on one of America’s 50 busiest airports. The airport authority will discuss the proposal and its two-year waiting period policy at its September 17 meeting.
