If you’ve flown through Nashville International Airport in the last few years, you already know the drill: crowds at the escalators, a terminal that was built for a city half this size, and a central core that hasn’t kept pace with BNA’s explosive growth. Starting June 1, 2026, the airport is doing something about it — and for the next 18 months, the construction zone is going to be impossible to miss.
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority announced the Central Core Enhancement on March 31, 2026 — a $40 million overhaul of the terminal’s central entrance area designed to handle the 40 million annual passengers BNA now expects within the next decade. That’s a 33% jump over earlier projections, and the current infrastructure simply wasn’t built for it.
The good news: this renovation is worth it. The bad news: getting through the airport for the next year and a half is going to require more planning than you’re used to. This guide gives you everything you need.
Project At a Glance
- Project Central Core Enhancement
- Start Date June 1, 2026
- Est. Completion December 2027
- Duration 18 months
- Cost $40 million
- Key Upgrade Escalators: 6 → 16; Elevators: 2 → 3 (larger & faster)
- Funding Bonds, federal/state grants, Passenger Facility Charges — no local tax dollars
- Designer / Builder Fentress Studios / Hensel Phelps
Why BNA Is Tearing Apart Its Own Center
Passenger volume at BNA has more than doubled in the last decade. When the airport’s last major expansion was designed back in 2016, planners projected 30 million annual travelers as a long-term ceiling. Nashville blew past that trajectory early, and the airport now forecasts 40 million travelers per year — including 3.8 million in a single peak month — within the next decade.
The central core — the escalator and elevator bank connecting ground transportation, baggage claim, ticketing, and the BNA Plaza — is the choke point. Right now there are six escalators moving passengers between those levels. The renovation will expand that to sixteen, add a third elevator, and replace the two existing elevators with larger, faster equipment that doubles overall capacity.
The art installation currently in the Central Core atrium — The Unscalable Rampart of Time by artist Jacob Hashimoto — will be removed and stored during construction, then adapted to fit the new space and reinstalled when the project is complete.
By December 2027, BNA will have a terminal entrance built for the city Nashville has become, not the city it was in 2016. But between now and then, you need a plan.
What Is Actually Changing on June 1
Let’s be precise here, because a lot of vague “expect disruptions” language isn’t going to help you catch your flight. Here’s what the airport has confirmed:
The Central Core becomes an active construction zone
The central escalator and elevator bank — the main vertical connector in the terminal — goes offline June 1. The entire core area transitions to active construction, with barriers, wayfinding signage, and additional staff deployed throughout. BNA has committed to phased construction specifically to keep passenger flow moving, but the direct center path through the terminal will look and feel very different.
Movement between levels requires a detour
Getting between ground transportation, baggage claim, and ticketing will require navigating around the construction zone rather than through the center. BNA will have additional staff positioned throughout the area specifically to guide travelers, and enhanced signage will be updated regularly as the project progresses. Build in the extra walking time — it’s real.
The sky bridge closes as part of the renovation
The sky bridge connected to the central core will be closed during construction. If you’ve used this as part of your parking-to-terminal route, you’ll need to adjust. Hotel access, parking garage access, and ground transportation remain fully operational — the construction is isolated to the central core itself.
Some early coverage of this project included claims about specific baggage carousels being permanently removed and complete Plaza Level closures to all foot traffic. BNA’s official release does not confirm either of these. The airport has consistently said that all major facilities — retail, dining, and baggage handling — remain operational throughout construction. Don’t plan around details that haven’t been verified.
The 3 Rules for Flying BNA During Construction
Nashville’s traffic is notoriously unforgiving — and that was before you add 18 months of construction chaos inside the terminal itself. If you’re flying out of BNA between June 2026 and December 2027, these aren’t suggestions.
Give Yourself a Real Buffer — Not Your Usual One
The airport is explicitly encouraging travelers to “arrive and enjoy” — explore the concessions, live music stages, and shops before their flight. That’s their diplomatic way of telling you that the central core detours will add time to every leg of your terminal journey. Add at minimum 30 extra minutes to whatever your current routine is. If you’re checking bags or flying during a peak morning or evening window, give yourself the full 2.5 hours. Nashville traffic hits every hour of the day now, not just rush hour — and if you’re new to the city, that is not an exaggeration.
Travel Carry-On Only If You Can Make It Work
With construction compressing passenger flow through the terminal, baggage handling is under added pressure during peak periods. If your trip allows it, compressing into a carry-on eliminates the check-in counter line on departure and the baggage claim wait on return — both of which will be slower than usual during the 18-month window. It’s the single highest-impact change you can make for stress-free BNA travel right now. Need help figuring out where to store your car while you’re gone? We broke down every option in our complete BNA parking guide.
Follow the Signage — It’s Being Updated in Real Time
BNA has committed to continuously updating wayfinding signage and posting construction progress on social media (@flynashville) and at flynashville.com. The layout you navigate in July may look different from the layout in November as construction phases shift. Follow the posted arrows, follow the staff in the orange vests, and don’t rely on a route you memorized three months ago. This is a living construction site for 18 months.
If you’re a solo traveler with TSA PreCheck or CLEAR and you’re not checking bags, you can minimize your exposure to the central core entirely. Use the parking garage bridge pathways directly to the North or South security checkpoints where available, check in on the app, and skip the main terminal lobby flow altogether. This is the cleanest line through BNA during construction — and it costs nothing if you’re already enrolled.
What Stays Fully Open the Entire Time
The airport has been clear about this: the Central Core Enhancement is a focused renovation. It is not a terminal-wide shutdown. Everything outside the central core remains open and operational throughout the 18-month project:
All airline ticket counters and check-in areas · All security checkpoints · All gates and concourses · All retail, dining, and live music concessions inside the terminal · BNA’s on-site hotel · All parking garages · All ground transportation including rideshare, rental cars, and taxis · All elevators and escalators outside the central core zone
BNA CEO Doug Kreulen put it directly: “The way you enter BNA may look different over the next 18 months, but the iconic Nashville experience inside remains unchanged.” Once you’re through security, you won’t notice the construction.
Getting To and From BNA During Construction
The construction doesn’t touch parking garage access or ground transportation connectivity — but Nashville’s road network is a different story. The airport has noted that 10 million additional annual passengers will eventually mean more cars on the roads surrounding BNA, and the congestion is already significant. Anyone who has tried to navigate Nashville during a major event knows how fast Donelson Pike and I-40 can seize up.
Book parking in advance. Construction activity near the central core and parking areas means additional staff and potential short-term flow changes around the garages. The lots closest to the terminal will be in higher demand. Lock in your spot before you leave. Our BNA parking guide walks through on-site vs. off-site options and where the real savings are.
Consider off-site parking + shuttle. If you want to insulate yourself from any parking garage congestion near the construction zone, an off-site lot with a dedicated shuttle drops you at the terminal door without the garage navigation. We’ve covered Nashville’s parking landscape in depth if you want the full picture before you commit.
Use rideshare pickup zones as directed. BNA will update designated rideshare and taxi zones as the project progresses. Check the app and the airport’s website before you land — don’t assume the pickup spot you used last time is still in the same location.
With heavier construction traffic around BNA and more vehicles circling the terminal, the odds of a parking mishap or a tow go up. If you come back from a trip to find your car gone, here’s exactly what to do — don’t panic, there’s a clear process.
What BNA Looks Like When This Is Over
By December 2027, the Central Core Enhancement will give BNA a terminal entrance that actually matches its ambitions. Sixteen escalators instead of six. Three upgraded, larger elevators instead of two. A rebuilt central atrium with Hashimoto’s artwork reinstalled in a space designed for it. A terminal that can move 40 million travelers a year without the daily bottleneck that anyone who flies BNA regularly has experienced firsthand.
Nashville has outgrown nearly every piece of infrastructure it’s built in the last decade — roads, housing, venues. The airport is one of the few institutions that’s running ahead of the curve rather than behind it. The 18 months of inconvenience is real. So is what’s on the other side of it.
For now: arrive early, follow the orange vests, and use the extra time at the gate to eat something from one of the local concessions. It’s a better airport experience than most cities offer even without construction.
Nashville Unscripted covers the city the way locals actually live it. Bookmark this page — we’ll update it as BNA releases new wayfinding details and construction phases shift through 2027.