Summary Nashville International Airport sees consistent demand for international travel, with over 4,000 passengers daily. Southwest Airlines introduces new routes to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, but other airlines are interested. BNA pursues potential routes to Europe, Asia, and beyond, actively seeking new airline partnerships and destinations.
In the last year, an average of 4,352 passengers each day traveled through Nashville International Airport (BNA) either bound to or coming from an international destination. Proving that there is a market for international travel in the city. Now, more airlines are capitalizing on the market's demand.
Southwest Airlines announced two new routes from BNA —one to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and another to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. However, Southwest isn’t the only airline interested in bringing international flights to BNA. A newcomer According to the Business Journal , an undisclosed airline has chosen BNA for the airport's second direct flight to Europe.
The deal is still pending and awaiting approval from the airline’s parent company. However, it is the closest BNA has gotten to securing another nonstop flight to Europe since British Airways (BA) arrived in 2018 and began operating flights to London. Doug Kreulen, the CEO of the Metro Nashville Airport Authority, declined to identify the airline and said that all that’s left is for the airline’s parent company to endorse the new route, a decision he expects to be imminent.
According to Ishrion Aviation , possible candidates could be either Discover Airlines (4Y) with a route to Frankfurt, Germany, or Aer Lingus (EI) to Dublin, Ireland. These are potential airlines and routes that BNA has been targeting for the 2025 - 2026 financial year. Kreulen spoke about how Discover Airlines had been “very hot” until the management took three planes out of service, resulting in reduced capacity and inability to commit to new routes.
However, on August 21st, the Lufthansa subsidiary announced that it will increase its fleet by six from 2025 onwards, making it a possibility once again. BNA was also making progress with Aer Lingus. However, a dispute between pilots and the airline’s management stalled discussions.
The issue has since been resolved, so they expect discussions to restart. Actively searching for routes Beyond that, the airport is also looking to secure direct flights to Asia, with possible contenders being All Nippon Airways or Japan Airlines with flights to Japan, and even Turkish Airlines with flights to Turkey. The airport has been actively fielding proposals for new routes.
Josh Powell, an Assistant Vice President at the Metro Nashville Airport Authority, who’s tasked with recruiting more routes, said: “We're trying to find somebody else to give us additional supply because the demand is definitely there.” Other BNA target destinations include France and Iceland. In the last month, airport officials also met with representatives from Copa Airlines, which could yield a route to Panama.
According to Powell, airport representatives discuss potential routes “at least once, if not multiple times a week.” Last year, as part of an ongoing multibillion-dollar expansion, the airport opened six gates for international flights and expanded the customs and immigration area to allow for increased capacity. The Metro Nashville Airport Authority also set aside $8.
8 million to provide incentives to airlines. The airport plans to waive the rent and standard fees it charges airlines and tap into the incentive fund to cover expenses incurred. The airline has been making sweeping changes in recent times.
.
