Nashville outgrew its airport faster than almost anyone planned for, and BNA is building its way out again. New Horizon, a roughly $3 billion program at Nashville International Airport, follows the earlier BNA Vision expansion with another phased wave of terminal, concourse, and roadway work meant to carry the airport through 2029 and beyond.
Project Scope
The program is being delivered in phases under a design led by Fentress Studios, a Populous company that has shaped BNA’s recent growth, with Hensel Phelps as a construction partner. An early piece already underway is the Central Core Enhancement, an 18-month, $40 million job that roughly triples the terminal’s escalator count and rebuilds vertical transportation to move a much larger passenger load. Funding comes from airport capital sources, a mix of bonds, federal and state aviation grants, and passenger facility charges, rather than local tax dollars.
Why It Matters
Nashville’s passenger numbers blew past forecasts, and an airport that felt new a few years ago is again running tight at the pinch points, security, vertical circulation, curbside. New Horizon targets those chokepoints while adding gate and landside capacity for the next demand curve. Phasing the work around a terminal that never closes is the hard part, which is why so much of the early scope is behind-the-scenes circulation rather than splashy new gates.
Project Team & Details
| Developer | Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority |
|---|
| Owner / Client | Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority |
|---|
| Architect | Fentress Studios (Populous) |
|---|
| General Contractor | Hensel Phelps |
|---|
| Status | Under Construction |
|---|
| Delivery Method | Design-Build |
|---|
| Funding Source | Mixed |
|---|
