Tennessee officials have revealed plans to rename Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton, following the legendary country singer’s passing earlier this week.
Governor Bill Lee and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) have aligned on a proposal to rebrand the Music City hub, known by airport code BNA, in Parton’s honor, with a meeting slated for September 17 to outline the next steps.
Governor Lee said in a statement, “Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” adding, “From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her. 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.”
Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority President and CEO Doug Kreulen remarked, “BNA is the front door to Music City, and with that comes a responsibility to reflect the very best of who we are as a community.”
“Dolly’s remarkable legacy reminds us that what makes Nashville special is our ability to welcome people from every walk of life. She understood that dignity, kindness and opportunity should never be defined by where you come from or your socioeconomic status… That spirit is what defines BNA and it is a fitting reflection of the values Dolly shared with Tennessee and the world.”
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If the renaming proceeds, Parton would become only the second American musician—after Louis Armstrong in New Orleans—to have an airport bearing their name; the airport in Liverpool, England, honors John Lennon, while composers such as Liszt, Mozart, and Chopin lend their names to airports in Budapest, Salzburg, and Warsaw, respectively.
Parton would also be the first woman in the United States to have an airport named after her. It remains unclear whether Nashville’s airport code—BNA, a reference to Berry Field and Nashville Airport—will also be altered if the facility is renamed in her honor.