Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority announced on August 28, 2026, a proposal to rename Nashville International Airport as Dolly Parton International Airport to honor the late singer’s legacy [1, 2]. Dolly Parton died three days earlier on August 25 at age 80 after a battle with cancer [1, 2].
The petition to rename the airport gained more than 155,000 signatures, initially launched in January 2025 by Lydia Popovich and Dan Dion to celebrate Parton and add character to the airport’s name [3, 1]. Dion said the effort was "more about celebrating Dolly than defeating something," emphasizing the focus on uplifting her legacy [3].
Governor Lee said, "Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state. 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" [1].
State Representative Todd Warner, who supports the renaming, plans to introduce legislation to this effect at the next legislative session. He said, "Dolly Parton being from Tennessee, being a country music legend, she’s done so much for the state and it would be a great honour to her and the whole state to rename it after her" [3]. Warner had previously proposed renaming the airport after Donald Trump in 2025, but that effort failed partly due to a $10 million estimated rebranding cost [3].
The airport authority has received inquiries about the renaming process but has yet to make a final decision or begin an official renaming [3].
