Nashville Board Votes to Rename Airport for Parton
Nashville Board Votes to Rename Airport for Parton
The News
Nashville's airport board voted unanimously Friday to begin renaming Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton, the country star who died Aug. 25 at 80.
The Metro Nashville Airport Authority Board of Commissioners approved the resolution 6-0, according to WFLA. The measure was a rule change clearing the way for the renaming — the first formal step in what airport officials call a lengthy, multi-part process.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, proposed the change shortly after Parton's death, The Hill reported.
What the Vote Does
It authorizes airport President and CEO Doug Kreulen to immediately start implementing the change, USA Today reported. The exact name is not settled; Kreulen said "Dolly Parton Nashville International Airport" is one option.
Timeline
Parton, speaking with The Tennessean at Belmont University after a groundswell of support for the idea, says she doubts it will happen. "I think that's probably more of a joke than anything," she said. "I mean, it does sound like a lot of fun to say: 'Your flight is departin' from Nashville's D. Parton.'"
Parton dies in Nashville at 80, following a brief battle with cancer, according to The Hill.
Gov. Bill Lee issues a statement backing the renaming. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell also supports it.
Kreulen meets with the Parton family, a session he described to the board as "very productive."
The airport authority board votes unanimously to approve the renaming resolution.
Reactions
"Dolly Parton's extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state," Lee said in his statement. "From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her. 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."
Lydia Popovich, co-creator of the Change.org petition that started the push, spoke during public comment and cried during the vote. "I wanted her to know how much she meant to us," she said. "I wanted the world to know how much Tennessee loves her."
The airport said in a statement after the vote: "We are grateful for the tremendous support and enthusiasm from our community and Dolly's fans around the world. We look forward to sharing additional details as plans are finalized."
USA Today reported that local and statewide officials across the political spectrum back the change.
What's Next
Airport staff now work out the name itself and the mechanics, in continued coordination with the Parton family. The airport says Friday's vote is the first step in a process that will run for months.
Based on the timelines of similar airport renamings, USA Today reported, an official name-change ceremony could be about a year away.
More
The switch means a signage overhaul across the airport's 4,500-acre property, plus updated BNA Shop merchandise, shuttle bus decals, uniforms and business cards — and amendments to hundreds of legal contracts, leases and other government documents, according to USA Today.
Poll
Should Nashville's airport be renamed for Dolly Parton?
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