NASHVILLE, TN — Metro Nashville has lost a major legal battle over control of Nashville International Airport after the Tennessee Supreme Court dismissed the city’s challenge to a state law restructuring the airport authority’s governing board. The Nov. 2 decision removes an earlier court ruling that had blocked the state’s first attempt to take control, giving state officials a clearer path to influence the operation of one of Tennessee’s busiest economic assets.
The dispute centers on the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, which operates Nashville International Airport, known as BNA, and John C. Tune Airport. For decades, the authority’s seven-member board was appointed by the Nashville mayor and confirmed by the Metro Council.
Under Public Chapter 978, signed by Gov. Bill Lee in May, the existing board was dissolved and replaced with a nine-member board. Six members are appointed by state officials: two by the speaker of the Tennessee House, two by the speaker of the Senate and two by the governor. The remaining three are appointed by the Nashville mayor and must be confirmed by the Metro Council.
The arrangement gives state officials a majority of appointments and significantly reduces Metro Nashville’s influence over airport governance. The law also applies to airport authorities in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis-Shelby County and the Tri-Cities region.
The new board structure took effect July 1. The airport authority announced six state-appointed commissioners that day, with three additional appointments by Mayor Freddie O’Connell awaiting confirmation.
Monday’s Supreme Court decision involved an earlier 2023 law that specifically targeted Nashville’s airport authority. Metro challenged that measure, arguing it violated the Tennessee Constitution’s protections for local government. A trial court ruled in Metro’s favor, and the Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld that decision.
However, lawmakers amended the legislation in 2026 to extend the changes to other metropolitan and regional airport authorities. The Supreme Court determined that the amendment made the original legal dispute moot. The justices vacated the lower-court rulings and ordered the original case dismissed. The court did not issue a ruling on the constitutionality of the newer law.
Metro and the airport authority have filed separate legal challenges to Public Chapter 978. Their arguments include whether federal aviation law requires Federal Aviation Administration approval before the state can change the airport’s governing structure without the existing board’s consent. Those cases remain unresolved.
The dispute has significant financial implications. BNA served more than 25 million passengers in 2025 and is a major driver of tourism, business travel and employment in Middle Tennessee. Airport revenue is generally restricted under federal law to airport-related purposes, but control of the board gives appointees influence over major decisions involving spending, development and long-term planning.
The latest ruling represents a setback for Metro’s effort to preserve local control. The separate lawsuits will determine whether the city has any remaining legal avenue to challenge the state’s expanded authority over Nashville’s airports.
Copyright©️ The Tennessee Tribune 2026. All rights reserved
