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Dolly Parton would be the first woman to have a major US airport named solely after her. Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage/Kevin Carter/Getty Images

Dolly Parton could become the first woman to have a major U.S. airport named after her as Tennessee plans to rename Nashville International Airport

AnnaMarie Houlis
Aug 31, 2026
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It’s no secret that Dolly Parton is a country music legend, but now she’s poised to make aviation history as well. Nashville International Airport could soon carry the name of the Tennessee singer, songwriter and philanthropist, making her the first woman to have one of America’s major airports named solely in her honor.

The proposal was announced by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority just days after Parton died at age 80. The move follows a petition started by fans in 2025 that surged after her death, eventually attracting more than 160,000 signatures. Lee said he had already spoken with Parton’s representatives about the proposal, who expressed appreciation and openness to continuing the conversation.

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“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,” Gov. Lee said.

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Dolly would join a star-studded list

American airports have long been used to honor presidents, politicians, athletes and cultural icons, but the vast majority of major airports named for individuals honor men.

Musicians are already represented: New Orleans’ airport became Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in 2001, honoring the legendary jazz trumpeter and singer who was born in the city. Louisville’s airport was renamed Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in 2019, honoring the Kentucky-born boxing legend. And Orange County’s major airport carries the name of actor and longtime Southern California resident John Wayne.

There are women represented at smaller airports and airport facilities, including Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport in Atchison, Kansas, while the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas is named after both of them. But Nashville would be a particularly significant addition; it is a major international airport and one of the country’s busiest.

The timing also puts Parton’s proposed honor into a strikingly contemporary context.

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The move would require bending the rules

Just weeks before the Nashville proposal, another major U.S. airport underwent a very different celebrity-driven name change. Palm Beach International Airport officially became President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, following a Florida law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The change was mandated by state legislation rather than initiated by the airport itself.

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Trump’s name was added while he is alive and serving as president, while Nashville’s proposal comes immediately following Parton’s death — despite an existing Nashville airport policy saying its properties generally should only be named for people who have been dead for at least two years.

That means Dolly’s proposal still isn’t a done deal. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority is scheduled to consider the proposal and its naming policy at its Sept. 17 meeting, potentially requiring the rules to be changed to allow the honor.

“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Gov. Lee said. “From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her.”

If approved, the decision would turn the airport into perhaps the biggest permanent tribute yet to a woman whose music, generosity and Tennessee roots became part of American culture.

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AnnaMarie Houlis Weekend Editor

AnnaMarie Houlis is a journalist and author with more than 15 years of experience, thousands of bylines and four books covering everything from travel, lifestyle and wellness to finance, technology and business.

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