r/MadeMeSmile • u/retroanduwu24 • 23h ago
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-airport4.2k
u/mossy_fernn 23h ago
Honestly, she deserves it. Dolly is basically a Tennessee icon, so it actually makes sense. I'd like to hear another opinion.
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u/ShrimpyEsq 23h ago
I usually hate naming airports after celebrities but her work on literacy absolutely earned her this.
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u/ranchspidey 22h ago
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 19h ago
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 17h ago
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/Designer_Tiger_6305 10h ago
She really was one of a kind. I’m a little in awe that one person could leave behind so much music, kindness, and real change.
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u/LippySteve 22h ago
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 22h ago
She also denied the name change while she was alive
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u/ShrimpyEsq 22h ago
I didn’t know this. I change my mind.
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u/thebelovedgamer10 21h ago
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 21h ago
Well changed my mind back again
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u/arnoldzgreat 11h ago
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 21h ago
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 19h ago
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/YoHabloEscargot 21h ago
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 20h ago
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 20h ago
Wait, Dulles is a city? TIL! I literally thought it was just a politician’s name or something.
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u/Lonyo 21h ago
In the UK we have Liverpool John Lennon airport.
We did also have Robin Hood airport
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u/maryfisherman 20h ago
There was talk of renaming the Birmingham airport after Ozzy but I think that’s out
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u/AntonSugarwater 17h ago
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 19h ago
Yeah but they need to change the airport code to DDD now.
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u/RidleyScotch 17h ago
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 17h ago
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 19h ago edited 19h ago
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 22h ago
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 22h ago
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 21h ago
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 21h ago
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 17h ago
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 20h ago edited 20h ago
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 17h ago
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- 17h ago
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 16h ago
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 16h ago
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/squatbenchdeadcoach 23h ago edited 12h ago
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 23h ago
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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u/ayoungsapling 20h ago
Imagine the feeling of beating Dolly Parton in a Dolly Parton lookalike contest
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u/Spartan_Mage 18h ago
This is actually a really funny thing that has happened several times in history with famous people
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u/grudgby 23h ago
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 22h ago
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 18h ago
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/Kayge 20h ago
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/slaytanic667 22h ago
“Please be patient, the flight will be D. Parton shortly.”
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u/What_a_fat_one 18h ago
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 17h ago
Hey, hey, shit brother. Nice to meet you. I like this guy. Shit brother. He's got good taste.
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u/Mr-MuffinMan 23h ago
So glad they're doing this.
Also "Nashville International Airport" sounds pretty boring. This one has more character.
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u/Due_Menu7753 22h ago
Can’t wait to land and hear ,Welcome to Dolly Parton international’ over the speakers.
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u/blueberrycauzez 19h ago
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 19h ago
That's also why their IATA code starts with a B. Berry Nashville Airport.
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u/otterplus 21h ago
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 22h ago
Name a children’s library after her.
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u/travoltaswinkinbhole 21h ago
Can the airport code change to DDD?
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u/What_a_fat_one 18h ago
That would be the tits!
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u/OrganicHistorian2576 17h ago
I get the joke, but changing IATA codes would be a disaster.
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u/Quotidian_Void 22h ago
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 22h ago
Northeast airports confuse me like that. I could never remember who was where
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u/otterplus 21h ago
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 20h ago
BWI, Dulles, and National/Reagan
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u/OrganicHistorian2576 17h ago
Never heard anybody call it Reagan when my parents were in the DC area. Just National.
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u/lithodora 19h ago
I believe they named the airport after Ronald Regan because he was so beloved by air traffic controllers
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u/_RomeoEchoDelta_ 21h ago
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 19h ago
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 19h ago
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 19h ago
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 22h ago
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 17h ago
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 17h ago
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 23h ago
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 22h ago
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 13h ago
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 15h ago
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/coupland 22h ago
There are dozens of international airports in the US named after men. As of today there is only 1 international airport in the US named after a woman. The aptly-named:
Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock
Dolly is smashing down walls in death just like she did in life. Slay.
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u/StupidMastiff 20h ago
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 18h ago
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 23h ago
Wish they would have done this when she was alive
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u/LippySteve 22h ago
She would've protested and demanded them not to do it.
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u/WeAreGray 21h ago
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 22h ago
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 22h ago
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 21h ago
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 20h ago
..and tomorrow, by executive order, it'll be the International Airport of America.
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u/Homers_Harp 16h ago
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 20h ago
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 19h ago
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 19h ago
wonderful tribute. just wish we didnt wait until death to celebrate the best among us.
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u/SenseEuphoric5802 19h ago
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 17h ago
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 18h ago
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 23h ago
I dig her, but im so tired of renaming things.
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u/LeastResistancePath 22h ago
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 22h ago
No one said they were offended. It's just exhausting at the number of names changing lately.
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u/SquashSquigglyShrimp 18h ago
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 22h ago
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 22h ago
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 21h ago
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 22h ago
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 22h ago
Tell that to the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario.
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u/beatles910 22h ago
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 21h ago
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 22h ago
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 21h ago
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 20h ago
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/Badatusernames014 19h ago
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 17h ago
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/Bromoblue 22h ago
How do these airport renames work? Is it like an official name that no one actually uses or is the airport going to change their website, their name on various maps, etc to dolly parton and cause unnecessary confusion for people wanting to find info about Nashville airport?
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u/Smile_Space 22h ago
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 21h ago
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 20h ago
I live this especially since I travel through there occasionally to see Tennessee fanily
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u/M13-Rusty 20h ago
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 19h ago
I would travel there just to land and hear welcome to Dolly Parton airport
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u/FreudianYipYip 17h ago
Dolly was a saint. I say that, and I’m not even religious. She was a wonderful human being.
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u/ScurvyDervish 16h ago
I love that she was so loved. But I would nix this if I got to nix Bush and Trump airports.
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u/Personal-Pride-2024 11h ago
What a load of shite. They should have done it when she was alive. People always get their flowers too late. It’s pathetic
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