Tennessee Officials Plan to Rename Nashville Airport for Dolly Parton

Governor Bill Lee and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority announced their intent to rename Nashville International Airport in honor of country music icon Dolly Parton. The move follows Parton's death this week at age 80 and a fan-led online petition that reached over 155,000 signatures.

Lee has discussed the tribute with Parton's representatives, who expressed openness to the idea. If approved, Parton would be the first woman to have her name on one of the 50 busiest airports in the United States. The proposal coincides with a massive surge in Parton's discography, with Luminate reporting a 2,109 percent increase in U.S. audio and video streams.

The proposal will be formally discussed at an airport authority meeting on September 17. A primary obstacle is a current policy requiring individuals to be deceased for at least two years before being honored with a naming tribute, which the authority may need to waive to proceed.