Dolly Parton looks set to join at least fifteen other musicians with an airport named after them.
Louis Armstrong has New Orleans, John Lennon has Liverpool and Franz Liszt has Budapest.
Now Nashville is moving closer to putting Dolly’s name on the front door to Music City.
Last month, Nashville floated the idea of putting Dolly Parton’s name on its airport. Now, it seems, there’s finally a date in the diary.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Nashville International Airport have confirmed that the proposal to rename BNA in Parton’s honour will go before the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority on September 17.
So while you can’t book a flight into Dolly Parton International Airport just yet, we are getting there.
Lee announced his support for the name change on August 28, saying he had already spoken with Parton’s team about the proposal.
According to the governor’s office, they were “touched by the idea” and open to continuing the conversation.
And it turns out the airport is on board too.
“BNA is the front door to Music City,” airport president and CEO Doug Kreulen said, arguing that Parton’s warmth, generosity and very Tennessee legacy make her a pretty fitting person to have greeting visitors as they arrive in Nashville.
It’s hard to think of a name more closely tied to the place.
Parton went from growing up in Sevier County to becoming one of the biggest names country music has ever produced, while her work away from the stage has become just as much a part of her legacy.
Her Imagination Library alone has put millions of books into the hands of children around the world.
The September 17 meeting will consider both the airport authority’s current naming policy and Lee’s proposal, with more details expected ahead of the date.
We’ve been following this one since the idea first started gaining traction, so one important distinction remains: Nashville International Airport is still Nashville International Airport.
For now.
But come September 17, Dolly could be one step closer to joining Armstrong, Lennon and Liszt in the surprisingly exclusive musicians-with-airports club.
