Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority expressed support for renaming Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton on Friday. This discussion follows a renewed push by fans, which gained momentum after Parton's death on August 29, 2026. An online petition calling for the name change, initiated in January 2025, has garnered over 155,000 signatures as of Friday.
If approved, Parton would become the first woman to have her name associated with one of the 50 busiest airports in the United States. Governor Lee stated that he has already spoken with representatives for Parton regarding the proposal. He emphasized the significance of the airport bearing the name of Tennessee's