Thousands back petition to rename Tennessee airport after country legend Dolly Parton

Following the heartbreaking passing of country music Queen Dolly Parton at the age of 80, a massive grassroots campaign has emerged urging Tennessee officials to rename the state's largest airport in her honor.

Online petitions and viral social media campaigns are calling on the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) and state lawmakers to officially rebrand Nashville International Airport (BNA) as Dolly Parton International Airport.

Supporters argue that there is no figure more synonymous with Tennessee hospitality, philanthropy, and global music culture than Parton, whose six-decade career transformed the region into a worldwide destination.

"Dolly Parton spent her entire life lifting up the state of Tennessee and sharing its heart with the entire world," one popular petition statement reads.

"Millions of travelers land in Music City every year. Welcoming them at an airport bearing the name of the most generous, unifying, and iconic figure in music history is the ultimate tribute to her legacy."

Dolly Parton passed away on Tuesday after a short battle with cancer

Currently, the airport's three-letter IATA code, BNA, stands for Berry Field Nashville—named in honor of Colonel Harry S. Berry, who served as Tennessee's state administrator for the Works Progress Administration during the airfield's original 1930s construction. Campaigners argue that while historical landmarks have their place, modernizing the gateway with Parton's name reflects the modern spirit and global identity of Nashville.

The proposal mirrors several other major American transport hubs that celebrate world-renowned cultural figures, most notably Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) in Louisiana and Bob Hope Airport (BUR) in Burbank, California.

Parton’s ties to Tennessee extended far beyond her chart-topping country hits. Through her Imagination Library, her Dollywood theme park empire in Pigeon Forge, and her countless disaster relief efforts—including providing direct financial support to families following the 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires—she served as an economic powerhouse and community pillar for generations of residents.

While renaming a major international commercial airport requires formal approvals from regional airport authorities, municipal leaders, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the swelling public momentum demonstrates just how deeply Parton’s legacy is woven into the fabric of the state.

Fans are hoping to rename the airport in her honor (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)

The loss of an icon

The music world was plunged into mourning following the passing of Dolly Parton at the age of 80 on Tuesday August 25, bringing an end to a legendary six-decade career that redefined country music and global pop culture.

Renowned for timeless classics like "Jolene," "9 to 5," and "I Will Always Love You," as well as her transformative philanthropy through the Imagination Library, Parton was universally celebrated as one of entertainment’s most beloved, generous, and sharp-witted icons.

Her death sparked an immediate global outpouring of grief and gratitude from fans, world leaders, and peers across the industry, honoring a trailblazing storyteller whose warmth and towering artistic legacy will resonate for generations.

Yet as tributes continue to flood in, fans remain united in their message to Tennessee leadership: when the world flies into the heart of country music, they should be landing in Dolly’s home.