The Late Dolly Parton Is Getting Her Own Airport

Dolly Parton’s legacy is about to take flight in a very literal way.

Nashville International Airport is set to be renamed in honor of the late country music icon, according to Nashville’s News Channel 5. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the move late last month, and the city’s Airport Authority board has now unanimously approved the name change.

Interestingly, the tribute was already in motion before Parton’s recent passing at the age of 80, making the decision an even more significant celebration of her connection to Tennessee and her lasting impact on the region.

There is, however, one small detail still up in the air: the airport’s new official name has yet to be revealed.

The name change also required an unusual bit of bureaucratic housekeeping. Apparently, Nashville’s Airport Authority had a policy requiring a person to have been deceased for at least two years before an airport could be named in their honor. To make Parton’s tribute possible, that policy had to be updated.

Despite the name change, travelers won’t have to memorize a new airport code. Nashville International will continue to operate under its familiar three-letter code, BNA, which dates back to one of the airport’s original builders, Col. Harry S. Berry.

And the tributes don’t stop there. Next week, Parton is also set to receive a posthumous honor from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, adding another chapter to the remarkable legacy she leaves behind.