Nashville's Airport Options: A Comprehensive Overview

Nashville, Tennessee, has one commercial airport, Nashville International Airport (IATA: BNA, ICAO: KBNA, FAA LID: BNA). The airport, which was established in 1937, is the busiest in Tennessee, offering service to 99 destinations across the US and beyond. There are also a few smaller airports in the area that serve charter and private flights.

Nashville International Airport

The airport was established in 1937 and was originally named Berry Field, after Col. Harry S. Berry, the Tennessee administrator for the Works Progress Administration. The current terminal was built in 1987, and the airport took its current name in 1988. Nashville International Airport is served by I-40, which has an eastbound exit and westbound entrance ramp to the terminal road. The airport can also be accessed via the Donelson Pike exit. Taxis and ride-sharing services pick up passengers on Level 1 of Terminal Garage 2, in the Ground Transportation Center. The WeGo Route 18 bus connects the airport to downtown Nashville.

Nashville's first airport was Hampton Field, which operated until 1921. It was replaced by Blackwood Field in the Hermitage community, which operated between 1921 and 1928. The first airlines to serve Nashville, American Airlines and Eastern Air Lines, flew out of Sky Harbor Airport in nearby Rutherford County.

John C. Tune Airport

Nashville, Tennessee, has one main airport, Nashville International Airport (IATA: BNA, ICAO: KBNA, FAA LID: BNA), which is a public/military airport in the southeastern section of the city. It is the state's busiest airport, with more boardings and arrivals than all other airports in Tennessee combined.

Nashville also has several smaller executive airports serving charter and private planes. These include John C. Tune Airport, Smyrna Airport, Weakleys Field, Oakley Airport, Evans Airport, and Tennessee Air National Guard.

Smyrna Airport

Nashville, Tennessee, is served by Nashville International Airport (IATA: BNA), which is a public/military airport in the southeastern section of the city. It is the only commercial airport in Nashville, although there are a few smaller executive airports in the area serving charter and private planes.

The airport has an operational control tower from 7 am to 10 pm on weekdays and 7 am to 7 pm on weekends. It is located in the geographic center of Tennessee and the eastern United States, with 80% of the US population living within a 700-mile radius. This has influenced the growth and location of industry in the Smyrna area.

Nashville's first airport

Nashville International Airport (IATA: BNA) is the only commercial airport in Nashville, Tennessee. However, Nashville's journey with airports began much earlier, with its first airfield being established between 1917 and 1921.

Hampton Field was replaced by Blackwood Field in 1921, which was established in the Hermitage community to house the newly designated 105th Observation Squadron Air Guard unit. H.O. Blackwood donated money to erect a hangar, and the airfield was named after him.

By the late 1920s, with the increasing importance of air mail, Nashville needed an airport closer to the city centre. As a result, land was purchased in West Nashville, and a field at the current location of McCabe Golf Course began operating in 1927. This airport was named McConnell Field, in honour of Brower McConnell, who had been killed in Air Guard training that year. McConnell Field served as Nashville's first municipal airport.

However, by the mid-1930s, McConnell Field had become too small to accommodate the growing needs of the city. Thus, a citizens' committee was formed to select a new location for an airport, and construction began in 1936 on a plot along Dixie Parkway (now Murfreesboro Pike). This new airport, named Berry Field, became Nashville's next municipal airport and the predecessor to the current Nashville International Airport.

BNA airport code

Nashville, Tennessee, has one main airport, Nashville International Airport, which uses the airport code BNA. The airport code is derived from the airport's former name, Berry Field Nashville Airport, or Berry Field for short. The airport was established in 1937 and was originally named Berry Field after Col. Harry S. Berry, the Tennessee administrator for the Works Progress Administration.

Nashville International Airport is located in the southeastern section of Nashville and is the busiest airport in Tennessee. It offers service to 99 destinations across the United States, as well as several international destinations. The airport covers 4,555 acres of land and has four runways. It is served by major airlines such as Southwest, American, and Delta.

In addition to Nashville International Airport, there are also a few smaller executive airports in the Nashville area that serve charter and private planes. These smaller airports include Smyrna Airport, John C Tune Airport, Lebanon Municipal Airport, and Music City Executive Airport.

Nashville International Airport has undergone several expansions and renovations over the years to accommodate its growing number of passengers and flights. The airport has one terminal with five concourses and a total of 54 gates. The most recent expansion and renovation project, called "BNA Vision," was completed in 2023 and included the expansion of concourses, construction of a new international arrivals facility, and the building of new parking garages and an onsite hotel.

The airport code BNA is used to identify Nashville International Airport in various travel and aviation contexts, such as flight bookings, baggage tags, and air traffic control communications. It is a unique identifier for this airport and helps ensure efficient and accurate operations in the aviation industry.

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