“When we broke ground on BNA® Vision, our goal was to expand the infrastructure of BNA to better support Nashville’s impressive growth trajectory over the next 20 years. The passenger volume we’ve seen at Nashville International Airport continues to outpace our previous projections, which is a great sign for our city, but it also means that we have to continue building for the future. It’s paramount for us to focus on a new horizon and continue to build a world-class airport to support more and more domestic and international travelers.”
New Horizon
Moving to a New Horizon
New Horizon is a new construction and renovation plan for Nashville International Airport® (BNA®) to meet the unprecedented growth of Nashville and travel needs of passengers.
Building on the success of BNA® Vision, which wrapped up in February 2024, New Horizon marks the next chapter in BNA's ongoing transformation.
BNA®: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
The future of travel in Middle Tennessee is here! Multi-Platinum Recording Artist and Actor Trace Adkins helps us tell the story of Nashville International Airport® and welcome viewers to New Horizon: our next chapter of growth and innovation.
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To meet the increasing passenger demand spurred by Nashville's unprecedented growth, BNA began the design phase for its second major expansion, known as New Horizon, in 2022. New Horizon will cost an additional $3 billion that will be executed in phases with an expected completion in 2029. This will bring the total development budget and scope at BNA to $4.5 billion since 2017.
$4.5 billion
development budget and scope from start of BNA® Vision in 2017 through completion of New Horizon in 2029.
BNA receives no local tax dollars. Consistent with all airport capital improvement projects, funding comes from bonds, federal and state aviation grants, Passenger Facility Charges (PFC) and other airport funds.
New Horizon Projects
- Adds 5 gates
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- Concourse D expanding from 6 gates to 11 gates
- Increases facilities by more than 160,000 square feet
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- Includes 22,000 square feet concessions space
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- 8 new locations
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- 5 food and beverage
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- 3 retail and gift locations
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- 165-foot-long moving walkway
- Culminates in record node
- Outdoor terrace with views of downtown and ramp activities
- Required prior to reconstructed Concourse A opening
- Provides 7 Remain Overnight & Deicing Positions
- Will require approximately 1.1 million cubic yards fill (approximately 110,000 dump trucks)
- Entails complete demolition and reconstruction of Concourse A
- 16 gates
- Increases facilities by 374,000 square feet and adds:
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- Two baggage claim devices
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- Two 120-foot-long moving walkways
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- 24 ticket counters
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- 28,000 square feet of concessions space
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- Larger & more efficient restrooms
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- Mother’s room
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- Service animal relief area
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- Departures level outdoor terrace for plane watching
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- 20,000 square feet of mezzanine airline lounges with outdoor terrace & indoor balcony
- Sort bags by flight, speed security inspections, and deliver passenger luggage to the aircraft faster.
- Expands baggage handling capacity to 3 miles of conveyer to support 40 million annual passengers.
- Will increase and ease traffic flow into and out of the airport terminal and parking garages; Level of Service C through 40 million annual passengers
- Infrastructure required:
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- Roadways
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- Curbs
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- Parking
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- Ground Transportation
- Will add:
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- Consolidated rental car facility (designed to accommodate approximately 4,800 vehicles)
- Parking Garage (3,000 spaces)
- Northeast Employee/Valet Staging Parking Lot
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), which oversees operations at BNA, is remaining in close contact with the Tennessee Department of Transportation as preparations are made to switch drivers to the new Donelson Pike interchange. Under the leadership of MNAA President and CEO Doug Kreulen with support from the MNAA Board of Commissioners, the airport authority agreed to pay up to $6 million in incentives to the contractor if the project is completed a year ahead of schedule. With the new alignment and other milestones in place, BNA will be able to move forward with the next phase of TARI sooner.
Sustainability
Electrochromic Glass
This glass uses an electric charge to change the opacity. More tint in the summer allows less light to enter and heat up the terminal. Less tint in the winter allows more light to enter and reduce the burden of heating the facility.
Reusing Rocks
Rock removed during the Terminal Access Road Improvement (TARI) project is saved for use in current and future construction projects. Contractors don’t have to haul fill materials across town, decreasing fuel and emissions.
Geothermal Lake Plate Cooling System
After reconfiguring a nearby rock quarry to be the largest geothermal lake plate cooling system in North America, BNA saw a 50% annual reduction in energy consumption. The quarry water is also used for landscape irrigation.
Parking and Transportation Center
Parksmart was used to advance sustainable mobility. Components include a Park Assist® guidance system to expedite parking, EV charging stations to encourage use of alternative energy sources, and LED lighting to cut energy use in half.