Nashville International Airport® (BNA®) is continuing one of the most significant periods of growth and transformation in its history. With passenger volumes more than doubling over the past decade, BNA is building for rising demand while managing a complex program of construction and renovation around a fully operational airport.
The New Horizon program represents the next chapter of growth for BNA. Following the completion of BNA® Vision in February 2024, New Horizon builds on that investment with a phased program focused on expanding and improving the airport’s airside and landside infrastructure. BNA’s development program from 2017 through 2029 represents a total budget and scope of $4.5 billion and is designed to prepare the airport to accommodate 40 million annual passengers in the next decade.
Paslay Group’s team is supporting this effort across multiple projects, helping coordinate the work required to keep the airport moving while major infrastructure is rebuilt around daily operations. One of the most visible recent milestones was the opening of the Concourse D Extension in July 2025. The project added five gates, more than 160,000 square feet of facilities, expanded concessions and a moving walkway. At the same time, work has continued on the Central Ramp Expansion, which required approximately 1.1 million cubic yards of fill and will provide additional aircraft parking and deicing capacity.
Behind those visible improvements, significant work is underway to prepare for the next phase of BNA’s growth. The Concourse A project involves fully demolishing and reconstructing the existing concourse, requiring airlines and operations to be relocated within the terminal before demolition could proceed. The new Concourse A is scheduled to open in July 2028 and will feature 16 gates (a net gain of 10), seven new concessions, two 120-foot-long moving walkways, additional passenger amenities and new airline lounge space for an expanded American Airlines Admirals Club®. BNA is also updating its baggage handling system to sort bags by flight, speed security inspections, and deliver passenger luggage to the aircraft faster, increasing capacity to three miles of conveyer to support 40 million annual passengers.
The airport is also advancing improvements to the terminal roadway network, expanding the current one-mile, three-lane ring road to a two-mile, six-lane loop, and building a new rental car facility and parking complex designed to accommodate 4,700 rental vehicles and 3,000 parking spaces. The facility will span six stories and 3.5 million square feet. These projects require extensive coordination and traffic modeling to maintain reliable access and movement throughout construction. The roadway program will also incorporate technology designed to provide better visibility into traffic activity, giving airport operations additional information to manage congestion and ground transportation.
For the team supporting BNA, the complexity extends well beyond individual construction projects. Each phase must account for aircraft operations, passenger flow, airline relocations, roadway traffic and the airport’s day-to-day needs.
That is what makes the work at BNA particularly significant. The airport is not simply expanding. It is rebuilding critical infrastructure, adding capacity and improving the passenger experience while continuing to serve a growing number of travelers every day. As New Horizon progresses, Paslay Group is helping BNA navigate that balance and deliver the infrastructure needed for the airport’s next chapter.
To learn more about New Horizon, visit BNANewHorizon.com.
