How Much Will It Cost To Name Nashville’s Airport After Dolly Parton?

Renaming Nashville's airport to honor Dolly Parton will cost millions of dollars and require a significant overhaul of everything from signage to uniforms.

While there's plenty of support to christen BNA "Dolly Parton International," the deal is far from complete. First, airport authorities have to decide if they are even allowed to change the name.

• A Change.org petition to rename Nashville's BNA airport has gathered nearly 175,000 signatures.
• Over the last decade, new construction at the airport has cost nearly $4.5 billion (per the Tennessean).
• Parton died at age 80 on Aug. 25 after a short battle with cancer.

Will Nashville Change the Name of the Airport to Honor Dolly Parton?

There is widespread support to rename Nashville's airport Dolly Parton International. In addition to the online petition, Tennessee's governor and Nashville airport officials have all expressed approval.

The Parton family is also in favor of the plan. A statement from the airport said the family was touched.

In keeping with the way Dolly lived her life, her team believes she still has a special way of bringing people together for good, and they hope this tribute can be another example of that enduring legacy.

There is a bit of red tape to snip before moving forward however. First, the Metro Nashville Airport Authority has to vote to circumvent its own policy of disallowing facilities to be named for people who died until two years after their death.

Then, the MNAA needs to vote in favor of naming the entire airport after Parton. Cost will surely play a role in that conversation.

The issue will come up for a vote on Sept. 17.

Cost of Changing Nashville International to Dolly Parton International

In 2025, there was discussion of renaming BNA to honor President Donald Trump. This came in the weeks after his inauguration and while the movement stalled, an investigation into what that would take produced some very serious math.

The MNAA estimated the cost of the name change to be $10.34 million (per the Tennessean). The money would cover signage, updated merchandise, uniforms, shuttle bus decals and hundreds of legal contracts and government documents.

Here's the breakdown:

• $3.59 million for infrastructure and signage
• $2.22 million for branding
• $2.28 for trademark and legal costs
• $2.25 million for administration and operational costs

The Parton family's eagerness to partner with the MNAA may reduce costs and this estimate will surely be adjusted to reflect inflation over the last 18 months. It's safe to say someone will be paying an extra $10 million to rename the airport to Dolly Parton International, although the exact source of the funding isn't clear.