American Airlines Renumbers Nashville Flight To Honor Dolly Parton

One American Airlines flight is getting a new number, and for Dolly Parton fans, the reason will be immediately recognizable.

Beginning March 28, 2027, American will change one of its daily flights from Dallas Fort Worth to Nashville from Flight 1396 to Flight 925. The new number is a direct nod to Parton’s signature hit “9 to 5,” giving travelers a small but fitting tribute to the country music icon every time the flight appears on the schedule.

The move comes as Tennessee continues to consider a much larger tribute: renaming Nashville International Airport Dolly Parton International Airport.

Nashville airport renaming gains momentum

The push to rename Nashville International Airport, known as BNA, began with a Change.org petition in 2025. Following Parton’s death on August 25, 2026, at age 80, the campaign quickly gained new momentum.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority announced on August 28 that they intend to pursue naming BNA after Parton. Lee said he had discussed the idea with Parton’s team, which expressed appreciation for the outpouring of support and remained open to continuing the conversation.

Lee described the proposed name as a way to recognize Parton’s extraordinary connection to Tennessee and her impact around the world. He pointed to the airport’s role as a gateway to the state, saying it would be fitting for travelers arriving in Tennessee to be greeted by a tribute to Parton’s music, generosity, faith and kindness.

Doug Kreulen, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, has also backed the proposal. He emphasized the values Parton represented, particularly kindness, dignity and opportunity, and said those ideals align with the way BNA aims to welcome travelers from all walks of life.

The Metro Nashville Council added its support on September 1, unanimously adopting a resolution asking the airport authority to make an exception to its existing naming policy and rename the airport Dolly Parton International Airport.

The final decision, however, still rests with the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. Its meeting on September 17 is expected to address the proposal. The authority’s current policy requires an exception for the renaming to move forward.

American Airlines has already made its tribute

While Nashville waits for that decision, American Airlines has found its own way to honor Parton.

The airline’s scheduling team changed the number of the Dallas Fort Worth-to-Nashville flight from 1396 to 925, a reference that will be familiar to anyone who knows Parton’s catalog.

The connection is to “9 to 5,” Parton’s 1980 hit written for the movie of the same name, in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The song became one of the defining recordings of Parton’s career and remains her only solo No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. It reached the top of the chart in February 1981.

That makes Flight 925 a particularly appropriate choice. The number essentially turns one of Parton’s most recognizable songs into a small piece of airline history.

American Airlines confirmed that the number was selected as a meaningful reference. The airline explained that its scheduling team looks for flight numbers with significance to travelers when opportunities arise.

The number 9/25 is taking on new meaning

The connection between Parton and 9/25 has also appeared elsewhere since her death.

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood announced that their Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk in Nashville will recognize September 25 as “Dolly Day.” The date was chosen as another play on 9/25 and Parton’s “9 to 5.”

The couple’s venue plans to donate its entire income from September 25 to children’s literacy, with the event intended to become an annual tradition.

The date has also become part of broader efforts to honor Parton’s legacy, with proposals emerging to recognize September 25 as Dolly Parton Day. The connection is simple: 9/25 immediately evokes “9 to 5,” one of the songs most closely associated with her career.

A fitting tribute while Nashville waits

For now, Nashville International Airport remains BNA. The proposed name change still has to clear the airport authority, while American Airlines’ Flight 925 is already scheduled to begin operating on March 28, 2027.

If the airport eventually becomes Dolly Parton International Airport, the idea of flying Flight 925 into it would make the tribute feel almost too perfect.

For an artist whose music, acting career and philanthropy became deeply tied to Tennessee, American Airlines’ small change carries a fitting message: 9 to 5 is heading to Nashville.