This Southern Airport Is Undergoing A $4.5B Upgrade, Creating More Options For Travelers

Music, mouthwatering Southern cuisine, and nightlife are just a few of the reasons why Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the most popular tourist spots in the southern United States. Millions of people visit the exciting destination each year in search of dive bars, vintage shops, and music history. In 2025, there were over 17 million travelers who flocked to the city. Many of them arrived via Nashville International Airport (BNA).

Music City makes a wonderful stop on a Southern road trip route, but many people opt to arrive on an airplane instead. In fiscal year 2025, the airport serviced around 24.7 million passengers. The airport offers nonstop flights to 114 different destinations. It's one of the fastest growing airports in the country, and Nashville tourism is only expected to increase over the next several years. In order to accommodate growing demand, Nashville International Airport is undergoing a major upgrade.

The project, called New Horizon, involves both renovations and new construction. Its purpose is to keep up with the growth of the city of Nashville and to provide passengers with the best possible experience. Once completed, Nashville International Airport should be able to service around 40 million passengers each year. There are several phases to the $4.5 billion project, which began with BNA Vision back in 2017. The design process for New Horizon began in 2022. The Central Core Enhancement, a major phase of the New Horizon project, is expected to be completed in late 2027. The entire upgrade will be completed by 2029.

Nashville International Airport's upgrade is projected to cost around $4.5 billion. The original plan, BNA Vision, was $1.5 billion and intended to service 30 million passengers. It was completed in 2024. Since the city of Nashville and the airport are continuing to grow quickly, BNA officials decided to expand the airport further through the New Horizon project for an additional $3 billion. 

"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," Doug Kreulen, the president and chief executive officer of Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, said in a statement (via the airport's website).

The next phase of expansion and improvements will allow Nashville International Airport to accommodate 40 million passengers annually. "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," the airport's website states.

All of the upgrades and new construction will result in some major improvements for passengers. Previously BNA had been dubbed one of the airports with the worst food according to online reviews, but once the upgrades are complete there will be plenty of new options. The Grand Lobby, Baggage Claim level, and Ground Transportation level will each gain new escalators and a fresh design. In total, the number of escalators will double, which will better help with passenger flow. The number of elevators will also increase, and they will be renovated to accommodate more passengers and move more quickly. Another level is being added as well.

Other changes include the Concourse D expansion, which was finished in July of 2025. Five new gates, an outdoor terrace, public art displays, and eight new restaurants and shops were added. The Central Ramp will be expanded to accommodate more aircraft. Concourse A is also getting a major upgrade with moving walkways, 28,000 square feet of additional concessions, and 24 new ticketing counters.

During the final phase of the New Horizon project, the roadways and parking areas around the airport will be improved and expanded. There will be miles of new roads added and several new bridges. The current airport loop will expand from two lanes to six lanes. A new parking garage and rental car facility will also be constructed. The project is currently in full swing and several major improvements are already complete. Still, Nashville International Airport will be under construction for the next several years. At the time of writing, the Central Core of the airport is closed to the public. Passengers should visit the airport's website for updates and plan accordingly.