Nashville Airport Authority approves renaming airport in honor of Dolly Parton

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Friday to rename Nashville International Airport after the late country music legend Dolly Parton.

The board voted 6-0 to begin the process of modifying the airport’s name in honor of Parton, according to a press release.

Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer, according to her publicist. She was laid to rest on Aug. 28 in a private burial in Nashville, according to her great-niece Lainey Mae Parton.

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority said in its press release Friday that a final name for the airport has not yet been determined, noting that it was “working closely with the appropriate parties to thoughtfully determine how Dolly Parton’s name and legacy will be incorporated.”

The MNAA said it would share “more definitive plans” about next steps and implementation “in the coming months.”

“We are grateful for the tremendous support and enthusiasm from our community and Dolly’s fans around the world,” the MNAA said. “We look forward to sharing additional details as plans are finalized.”

The news comes weeks after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said in a press release that he wanted to rename Nashville International Airport in honor of the “9 to 5” singer, whom he called “our state’s favorite daughter,” in order to “greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness.”

Parton was born in Tennessee in January 1946 and moved to Nashville in 1964, days after her high school graduation. It was there she built a successful music career and philanthropic legacy and met and married her longtime husband Carl Dean, who died in 2025, one year before Parton’s death.

According to the release, Lee’s office spoke with Parton’s team about renaming the airport after her, adding that her team was “touched by the idea and open to continuing the conversation.”

“In keeping with the way Dolly lived her life, her team believes she still has a special way of bringing people together for good, and they hope this tribute can be another example of that enduring legacy,” the release read.

Lee’s proposal was slated to be addressed at the MNAA’s meeting on Sept. 17.

Interest around renaming the airport after Parton was generated in January 2025, when Tennessee residents Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion created a change.org petition to modify the name of the airport in honor of the singer.

Since Parton’s death on Aug. 25, the petition has received more than 175,000 signatures.