Push to rename Nashville airport for Dolly Parton gets a boost from Tennessee's governor
- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority both expressed support for renaming Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton on Friday.
- An online petition to rename the airport was started by fans in January 2025 and gained renewed attention following Parton's death on Tuesday at age 80, reaching over 155,000 signatures by Friday.
- If approved, Parton would become the first woman whose name adorns one of America's 50 busiest airports.
- The airport authority is expected to discuss the proposal at its meeting on September 17, which may require revisiting the current naming policy that requires honorees to have been deceased for at least two years.
- Several U.S. airports already bear the names of celebrities, including Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
A campaign by fans to rename Nashville's airport after country music icon Dolly Parton has gained official support following her death on Tuesday at age 80. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority both announced their backing for the proposal on Friday, with the matter expected to be discussed at the airport authority's meeting on September 17.
The effort began with an online petition launched by fans in January 2025, which gained significant momentum after Parton's death, accumulating over 155,000 signatures by Friday. If approved, Parton would become the first woman to have her name on one of America's 50 busiest airports. Governor Lee stated that it would be fitting for the airport, where Tennessee welcomes the world, to bear the name of "our state's favorite daughter" and reflect her legacy of music, generosity, faith, and kindness.
The proposal may require the airport authority to revisit its current naming policy, which stipulates that airport properties should only be named for individuals who have been deceased for at least two years. Several other U.S. airports already bear the names of notable figures, including Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, though the vast majority of airports named after individuals honor men.
田纳西州州长支持将纳什维尔机场改名为多莉·帕顿机场的提议
乡村音乐传奇人物多莉·帕顿于周二去世（享年80岁）后，粉丝发起的将纳什维尔机场改名为帕顿机场的活动获得了官方支持。田纳西州州长比尔·李和纳什维尔大都会机场管理局首席执行官均于周五宣布支持该提议，该事项预计将在机场管理局9月17日的会议上讨论。
这一努力始于粉丝在2025年1月发起的在线请愿书，在帕顿去世后获得了显著关注，到周五已积累超过15.5万个签名。如获批准，帕顿将成为美国50个最繁忙机场中首位以女性名字命名的机场。州长李表示，对于田纳西州向世界敞开大门的机场而言，以"我们州最受欢迎的女儿"的名字命名并反映她在音乐、慈善、信仰和善良方面的遗产是恰当的。
该提议可能需要机场管理局重新审视其现行命名政策，该政策规定机场设施只能以已故至少两年的个人名字命名。美国其他几个机场已以知名人物命名，包括肯塔基州路易斯维尔的穆罕默德·阿里国际机场和新奥尔良的路易斯·阿姆斯特朗机场，尽管以个人名字命名的机场中绝大多数纪念的是男性。