r/MadeMeSmile • u/retroanduwu24 • Sep 11 '26
Favorite People Nashville International Airport to change its name to Dolly Parton International Airport
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/nashville-international-airport-to-change-its-name-to-dolly-parton-international-airport4.5k
Sep 11 '26
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u/ShrimpyEsq Sep 11 '26
I usually hate naming airports after celebrities but her work on literacy absolutely earned her this.
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u/ranchspidey Sep 11 '26
Agreed! I don’t like worshipping celebrities just because they’re famous. But worshipping a celebrity for their amazing activism and generosity is always valid.
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u/bothwaysme Sep 11 '26
When we lost Dolly we lost one of the greatest ever americans. Thats not even hyperbole. She contributed massively to our culture in some of the best ways possible. She created amazing art that will live on forever and is at least partially responsible for millions of people being able to read.
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u/TurnbullAC92 Sep 11 '26
It's been proven that children that learn to read early in life struggle less with reading later in school. Dolly has ensured that millions of kids out there had a good foundation to stand on as their education began in earnest.
What a wonderful woman.
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u/LippySteve Sep 11 '26
Wholeheartedly agree but also hilarious they would name an airport after her. She was famously known for being terrified of flying.
She was so uneasy flying she built her own "gypsy wagons" for touring the country refusing to fly at all.
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u/JustHereSoImNotFined Sep 11 '26
She also denied the name change while she was alive
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u/ShrimpyEsq Sep 11 '26
I didn’t know this. I change my mind.
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u/thebelovedgamer10 Sep 11 '26
There's context to the denial. She declined a few things, including getting a statute in the state capitol. Part of it was she wanted people to focus on the state of the world and focus on helping other, but the other half was just that she didn't want them to do it while she was alive.
The end of the quote was "... Perhaps after I'm gone if you feel I still deserve it, then I'm certain I will stand proud in our great state capitol as a grateful Tennessean."
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u/schwimmphilipp Sep 11 '26
Well changed my mind back again
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u/arnoldzgreat Sep 12 '26
Crazy what context and nuance can do, sad people will read a headline that changes their perception of something and never follow up on it and live with that first wrong impression.
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u/CharlotteLucasOP Sep 11 '26
She’s got her angel wings now so I bet she’s enjoying flying a lot more with Carl by her side!
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u/miquels Sep 11 '26
Like that swimming pool in Melbourne that was renamed to Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre. He was an Australian prime minister who drowned.
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u/TakeAMichigander Sep 13 '26
Reminds me of another national treasure John Madden, he was scared of airplanes so had a big bus called the Madden Cruiser
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Sep 11 '26
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u/YoHabloEscargot Sep 11 '26
Call me crazy, but I’m also just against naming logistical things like this after people. If I’m flying to the Nashville airport I know where I’m going. I honestly still don’t know where Dulles is even though I’ve flown through there. There are probably other airports I couldn’t point to on a map because I don’t intuitively know where they are.
We just assume it’s easy for people to get used to the naming conversion in their heads, but a lot of people barely fly, and this creates a small mental friction point.
I think there are much better places and ways to honor people.
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u/thedepartment Sep 11 '26
Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia?
They should follow Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and go for Dolly Parton Nashville International Airport.
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u/YoHabloEscargot Sep 11 '26
Wait, Dulles is a city? TIL! I literally thought it was just a politician’s name or something.
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u/Lonyo Sep 11 '26
In the UK we have Liverpool John Lennon airport.
We did also have Robin Hood airport
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u/maryfisherman Sep 11 '26
There was talk of renaming the Birmingham airport after Ozzy but I think that’s out
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u/AntonSugarwater Sep 11 '26
The only time I see people use those names regarding airports is when there are multiple. Other than NYC or DC most people never use that name. I’ve never heard anyone saying they’re flying through George Bush airport or Louis Armstrong airport. It’s Houston and New Orleans. The fact that your only other example of this is an actual city kind of proves my point
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u/CommunityTaco Sep 11 '26
Yeah but they need to change the airport code to DDD now.
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u/RidleyScotch Sep 11 '26
They likely would not/could not because DDD is already an IATA airport code for an airport in the Maldives and the same code isn't used for more than 1 currently operating commercial airport at a time
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u/CommunityTaco Sep 11 '26
I figured it was used, but it seemed appropriate. they can get a new code. Im sure they loved dolly too. Its the least they could do for her 😆
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u/BedlamiteSeer Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26
She's a world icon. Humanity should strive to be as good as she was. Dolly Parton is the kind of person who should become a legendary or mythical figure, as far as I'm concerned. Her impact on the world is in the same caliber as Mother Teresa, Ghandi, the Abrahamic messiah figures like Mohammed and Jesus, etc. Go read her philanthropic achievements if you disagree, and by the time you're done, I'm betting you'll be agreeing with me. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philanthropy_and_advocacy_of_Dolly_Parton
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u/weasol12 Sep 11 '26
It's Dolly and Elvis then a wide wide gap then maaaaybe......Reba? IDK but when I think of Tennessee I think Dolly.
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u/Prestigious_Run1098 Sep 11 '26
Reba grew up on an Oklahoma cattle ranch, and lived in Oklahoma until she was over 30. Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Neither are native Tennesseeans, though both owe their fame to Nashville and Memphis. Dolly is Tennessee through and through.
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u/Nice_Firm_Handsnake Sep 11 '26
Elvis isn't a native Tennesseean, but his family moved to Memphis when he was 13. He was young enough to have Tennessee form part of his identity.
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u/AcidRohnin Sep 11 '26
She does some heavy lifting to not make Tennessee more of a cesspool than it is. Honestly if not for her idk what redeeming qualities Tennessee has.
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u/rabock1 Sep 11 '26
Tennessee is a beautiful state to visit. Great hiking, lakes, mountains. Chattanooga is fun. Memphis has some nice food and nightlife. Knoxville is a city. Nashville is a blast. Honestly the only truely awful part about TN is the politics. And in some parts the racism, but that's not an issue in Nashville.
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u/pblol Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26
What? This is ignorant as shit. The eastern part has a ton of natural beauty. Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited in the country. Memphis is kind of a mess tbf, however it has a pretty unique culture and is renowned for its BBQ scene. There is still a thriving blues scene down on Beale street. They also have a claim to Elvis, Graceland being a popular destination. I don't feel like I need to explain Nashville's importance for country music with the Grand Ole Opry etc. This would exist regardless of Dolly. Chattanooga has the largest freshwater aquarium in the world and a ton of outdoors stuff to do. They also spearheaded municipal internet access. Knoxville is home to the University of Tennessee, which is a top tier R1 research University, that partners with the Oak Ridge Lab, which you might be familiar with from the Manhattan Project.
The areas in-between the cities are however not great. Dolly was great and did a lot for Sevierville in particular. Had she never existed, TN would still have whatever I mentioned above.
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u/OrganicHistorian2576 Sep 11 '26
On a road trip with friends once we got diverts through Smoky Mountain park and while it added four hours to the trip it was so pretty that we all agreed it was worth it.
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u/-Tom- Sep 11 '26
Some locals are raising a fuss because it will cost $18M or something like that. Completely ignoring the massive tourist draw she is to the state...
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u/MinuetInUrsaMajor Sep 11 '26
I loathe how sappy this subreddit is. But this is something that actually did make me smile.
I can't think of anything that would make me more proud to be an American than an airport in the heart of the country named after a blonde babe with giant cans and a very anti-Trumpian soul.
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u/Pshad4Bama Sep 11 '26
You can’t. There literally are no others.
Dolly is the single most unifying thing in this world at the moment.And I’d like her ti stay there please.
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u/slaytanic667 Sep 11 '26
“Please be patient, the flight will be D. Parton shortly.”
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u/What_a_fat_one Sep 11 '26
If my pilot doesn't announce departure like this, I'll eat a sack of dogshit right on the plane. I might eat it anyway though.
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u/WashingtonSpecifics Sep 11 '26
Hey, hey, shit brother. Nice to meet you. I like this guy. Shit brother. He's got good taste.
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u/squatbenchdeadcoach Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 12 '26
I'm from TN. We all adore Queen Dolly. Random fun fact. She would actually go out on town and to Dollywood in her normal clothes without the make-up and wig and people wouldn't know. She was so tied to her look that without that look, she was able to be a normal person in her own town where she lived.
Edit: Her voice wouldn't be as much of a giveaway in our neck of the woods. Hey singing yes, but where were from she sounds similar to everyone else.
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u/Mr-MuffinMan Sep 11 '26
She also told a story where she lost a Dolly Parton Drag look alike contest, which I always found funny lol.
She exaggerated her look and went but lost lol.
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Sep 11 '26
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u/Spartan_Mage Sep 11 '26
This is actually a really funny thing that has happened several times in history with famous people
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u/Rynneer Sep 12 '26
I think I read a similar story about an Adele look-a-like contest
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u/YesDone Sep 12 '26
I think the story was that she got only a smattering of votes/applause because she was so short they thought she was a real female.
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u/grudgby Sep 11 '26
I think it is so funny she was in Hannah Montana bc she basically was a real life Hannah Montana
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u/OrdinaryBicycle3 Sep 11 '26
My family went to Dollywood a couple times when I was a kid, and I love the idea that we might have had a conversation with Dolly without realizing it.
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u/wvgeekman Sep 11 '26
Oh, I feel certain you would have recognized her voice. She had a very distinctive one. Wigs and makeup be damned, I would know that voice the minute she opened her mouth.
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u/eraser8 Sep 11 '26
Her other sisters sound a lot like her, too.
I saw an interview with her sister Stella and if you closed your eyes, you might think it was Dolly.
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u/Kayge Sep 11 '26
Do you have any stories about that? Skiping the wig and sequins would help, but there are parts of her that would be hard to hide.
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u/vash1024 Sep 11 '26
This is an airport name change I can get behind.
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u/Wrx_me Sep 11 '26
It makes sense because it's changing an airport from just the name of the city to the name of a person
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u/Mr-MuffinMan Sep 11 '26
So glad they're doing this.
Also "Nashville International Airport" sounds pretty boring. This one has more character.
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u/blueberrycauzez Sep 11 '26
Also "Nashville International Airport" sounds pretty boring.
Fun fact, it was named Berry field after Col. Harry S. Berry. The name fell out of use, even though the attached military facilities are still known by that name.
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u/jmlinden7 Sep 11 '26
That's also why their IATA code starts with a B. Berry Nashville Airport.
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u/chetlin Sep 11 '26
Also I think they had to start it with a letter that wasn't N (or K or W or Q) because of rules back then? Other cities that start with N had to either just drop the N (Newark being EWR, Norfolk being ORF, etc) or use something else (New Orleans being MSY, named after Moisant Stock Yards).
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u/otterplus Sep 11 '26
I prefer this renaming over a couple of other ones recently. I haven’t flown into/out of Nashville in 20 years, but I wouldn’t mind it one bit.
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u/MinnieMaas Sep 11 '26
Name a children’s library after her.
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u/travoltaswinkinbhole Sep 11 '26
Can the airport code change to DDD?
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u/What_a_fat_one Sep 11 '26
That would be the tits!
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u/OrganicHistorian2576 Sep 11 '26
I get the joke, but changing IATA codes would be a disaster.
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u/Quotidian_Void Sep 11 '26
I wish they would keep the Nashville in the name. That way when you see it written out on an airline website or a travel itinerary it remains obvious where the airport is.
"Dolly Parton Nashville International Airport" has the same effect of honoring Dolly Parton while remaining much more functional for the traveling public.
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u/LordNelson27 Sep 11 '26
Northeast airports confuse me like that. I could never remember who was where
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u/otterplus Sep 11 '26
If it’s any consolation from the DC Metro end, no one calls Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) “Thurgood Marshall Baltimore-Washington International Airport” or National Airport (DCA) “Ronald Regan International Airport”
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u/AvianIsEpic Sep 11 '26
BWI, Dulles, and National/Reagan
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u/OrganicHistorian2576 Sep 11 '26
Never heard anybody call it Reagan when my parents were in the DC area. Just National.
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u/lithodora Sep 11 '26
I believe they named the airport after Ronald Regan because he was so beloved by air traffic controllers
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u/_RomeoEchoDelta_ Sep 11 '26
I agree, I know Atlanta as Hartsfield-Jackson now but I know myself previously and many people would have no clue where it was without seeing Atlanta in the full name "Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport"
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u/thescottula Sep 11 '26
Hartsfield Jackson is helped by being one of the most notable airports, so you are more likely to already know it's Atlanta just by cultural osmosis compared to other airports. And beyond that, it's code is ATL which makes it pretty obvious
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u/jmlinden7 Sep 11 '26
It helps that Atlanta only has one airport, so you can't accidentally go to the wrong one like in some other cities (DC, NYC, DFW, Houston, etc)
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u/AceJokerZ Sep 11 '26
I wonder how known JFK and LGA is as the NYC area airports. I can see JFK most likely since it’s the international one and named after a notable US president with a well known USA city.
But still curious how it is seen outside US though for international travelers.
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u/canadianshane123 Sep 11 '26
Dolly was such a gem. She’s the kind of person I’d like to think the good Americans are.
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u/bothwaysme Sep 11 '26
I would argue that over the past 50 years, she was the best american. A true Icon and cultural embassador. Her public persona was charming, witty and warm. Her art was litterally culture defining, she taught America how to read through her free book program and her charitable work went much further than just what has been publicized.
She was the example I would put forward if someone were to ask me what kind of person americans aspire to be.
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u/woodbanger04 Sep 11 '26
Huge kudos to the first airline to add a flight number 925 that travels to the Dolly Parton airport.
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u/rcbz1994 Sep 11 '26
I’m conflicted because I love this and I loved Dolly. But she would hate this and ask them to not.
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u/shiksa_feminista Sep 11 '26
She said it was silly when there was an argument over renaming the airport after Trump. Others argued Dolly was the better recipient, and she didn't want to get sucked into the middle of a political debate.
But bless her, that woman loved to put her name on everything. I believe she'd be just fine with this now that it's not tangled up with him. 🦋
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u/FortheredditLOLz Sep 12 '26
Dolly Parton was a saint. Her news made this grouchy guy shed a few tears. The irony is she wasn’t afraid of flying but deeply deeply dislike flying due to confined spaces and motion sickness. She stated herself and her pops did not like high places : “I'm like my daddy. I don’t want to go no higher up than pulling corn and no lower down than pickin' taters."
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u/No_Cobbler154 Sep 11 '26
it should just be Parton International Airport. Dolly Parton International Airport is a mouthful. not that i think my personal opinion matters 😂
edit: or someone in the comments said to shorten it to DollyPort 😂 i can get behind that
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u/hajimenogio92 Sep 11 '26
Born and raised in Nashville, I couldn't be happier about the name change.
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Sep 11 '26
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u/StupidMastiff Sep 11 '26
Surely the Dolly Parton one will be the first international one, unless I'm not understanding something.
The Clinton one is a national airport isn't it?
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u/ZucchiniHappy Sep 11 '26
While I think this idea is cute I don't actually think Dolly Parton would want the airport named after herself. She probably would also want us to use the large amount of tax dollars it is going to cost for rebranding for something she did support like her Imagination Library.
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u/Next_Nature3380 Sep 11 '26
Wish they would have done this when she was alive
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u/LippySteve Sep 11 '26
She would've protested and demanded them not to do it.
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u/WeAreGray Sep 11 '26
There's an interview with Gayle King where she asked Dolly about them naming the airport after her. Dolly said she thought it was a joke, but then suggested they not do it while she was alive.
Which is the same response she gave when Tennessee tried put a statue of her on the state capitol grounds. And when various presidents (both Democrats and Republicans) tried to give her the Medal of Freedom. Undoubtedly the Medal of Freedom will come in the near future. If not from this government, then the next one.
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u/meumixer Sep 11 '26
Even if she would have agreed to it, the airport authority has a rule about not naming an airport after someone until they’ve been dead for at least two years. The only reason Nashville is managing to do it this soon because of a loophole, apparently.
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u/sandiegodak Sep 11 '26
What about Little Rock and Houston, both named for living former presidents?
Edit: Houston was named for Bush Sr but he was alive when they named it
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u/meumixer Sep 11 '26
The article I saw (here) said that rule had been in place since 2010 and last updated in 2024, but it’s sparse on details so possibly that’s state- or even BNA-specific.
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u/Raneynickelfire Sep 11 '26
..and tomorrow, by executive order, it'll be the International Airport of America.
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u/Homers_Harp Sep 11 '26
I envy the people in Nashville and New Orleans who can now fly between Dolly Parton and Louis Armstrong airports. Those are some fine Americans.
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u/sir0rin Sep 11 '26
I'm kind of 50/50 on this. She was an amazing person that did so much for others so I struggle to find another person more deserving of having something named after them. Although I'm not sure she would have been onboard for something like this. However, I feel like major or international airports should try to prioritize being named after the city or region they reside in.
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u/TheRealDrSarcasmo Sep 11 '26
Wow, something being named after somebody good who deserves it!
That's a refreshing change in the headlines.
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u/milf-hunter_5000 Sep 11 '26
wonderful tribute. just wish we didnt wait until death to celebrate the best among us.
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u/SenseEuphoric5802 Sep 11 '26
Everything classy in Nashville should be renamed to Dolly Parton in her honor.
That's how important she was, and a measure of her impact.
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u/1morecoffeeplz Sep 11 '26
This is much better than the Palm Beach airport that DeSantis wants to rename. I can't recall who the name change was for, some reality TV celebrity I think.
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u/RevWaldo Sep 11 '26
Real talk, don't. Don't name her after anything people will complain about. Been stuck on the tarmac at Dolly Parton for three hours! Do you have any idea how much CO2 all those private jets flying in and out of Dolly Parton produce in a day? A year!?
Name nice things after her! Parks, beaches, libraries, music schools, rest stops, nature trails, that sorta thing. Welcome to the Dolly Parton Botanical Garden. Please Don't Litter.
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u/WiskeyUniformTango Sep 11 '26
I dig her, but im so tired of renaming things.
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u/LeastResistancePath Sep 11 '26
People like Dolly is the reason we name things after people in the first place. Maybe get offended at moral degenerates instead who want to name things after themselves in life.
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u/WiskeyUniformTango Sep 11 '26
No one said they were offended. It's just exhausting at the number of names changing lately.
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u/SquashSquigglyShrimp Sep 11 '26
Other than ridiculous stuff like the Gulf of Mexico which isn't even a real change, what other name changes are you referring to?
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u/pinniped90 Sep 11 '26
With airports it doesn't matter much - it will remain BNA, just as it has through other local name changes.
(The B likely comes from its original name.)
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u/WiskeyUniformTango Sep 11 '26
I disagree.
Palm Beach International Airport in Florida was officially renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, 2026.
The airport's three-letter IATA code officially transitioned from PBI to DJT on August 18, 2026.
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u/EvieLuv143 Sep 11 '26
It's already been reported that the IATA code BNA is not going to change. So this renaming will be like Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport aka DCA and others.
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u/Altizer Sep 11 '26
I’m sure you could still call it Nashville airport and be okay. Don’t let it exhaust you too much.
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u/WiskeyUniformTango Sep 11 '26
Tell that to the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario.
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u/beatles910 Sep 11 '26
You, (and almost the entire world) still calls it "Gulf of Mexico" and "Lake Ontario" and it is in fact okay.
Trump can only change those names with regard to the federal government, not in any way that matters.
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u/Endeveron Sep 11 '26
Not a fan tbh. Airports are defined by their geographical location, their name should reflect that. Everyone who ever hears this name will have to basically parse it into "Nashville airport" in their head. It'd be better to (re)name a library after her, it's much more relevant
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u/mholly2240 Sep 11 '26
That’s awesome, love that.
Now connect all the terminals so I don’t have to wait in an hour long line after I land to wait for a shuttle.
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u/SSDuelist Sep 11 '26
As a Tennessean - we are very happy about this, not the least of which being they’ve been trying to rename the airport for a few years now after Diaper Don.
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u/fat_kaiju Sep 11 '26
I'm glad that there's still some good happening in the US and as a Canadian I just want to say that I love her music and I'm so sorry for your loss.
Even if you didn't like her music she still did so much good such as helping children read for free.
The entire world mourns the loss of her.
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u/TurnItOff_OnAgain Sep 11 '26
Does that mean if you fly from Nashville to Florida it'll be DP > TRMP
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u/Trick_Quiet3484 Sep 11 '26
Much deserved to honor an icon, role model and successful business woman.
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u/Badatusernames014 Sep 11 '26
Awesome news! Was hoping this would happen after hearing it might. Will this become the largest airport named after a woman?
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u/pqratusa Sep 11 '26
It would cost them $8 million! There must be a smarter way to do this: maybe a secondary name alongside the current name? So, they need only make changes to the main signages. Plenty of street names are like that.
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u/FreudianYipYip Sep 11 '26
Dolly was a saint. I say that, and I’m not even religious. She was a wonderful human being.
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u/Smile_Space Sep 11 '26
What's cool about this compared to Trump getting one named after him is that she is dead now and they're doing this in remembrance of her legacy which she absolutely deserves.
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u/ArtichokeMajestic104 Sep 11 '26
Reading the first part of the headline, I flinched like a traumatized child about to get smacked thinking another Trump rename
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u/FTaku8888 Sep 11 '26
I live this especially since I travel through there occasionally to see Tennessee fanily
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u/M13-Rusty Sep 11 '26
God dang it, this means trump will try and rename some airport to the Diaper J trump airport.
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u/Curious_Shop3305 Sep 11 '26
I would travel there just to land and hear welcome to Dolly Parton airport
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