Nashville International Airport is seeing a record number of passengers and is outgrowing its space. An expansion, called BNA Vision, is underway.  

The airport will also have its own on-site hotel.  

An international terminal will open in 5 years. There will also be triple the number of parking spaces.  

A six-story, short-term parking garage will open in three weeks, in time for Christmas. That means ground transportation at the airport will relocate. 

“Your limos, taxis, buses, rideshares, all of that will actually move to our new parking and transportation center,” said BNA spokesman Jared Porter. “Right now, it’s on level 1 so that’s a change people need to be aware of.” 

Once the new garage opens, the current short-term garage will be demolished to make room for more parking.  

If you’re at BNA, you will also see a white, metal frame. It’s for the utility core that will heat and cool the entire airport. 

The utility core will be located at the end of the airport’s new concourse, Concourse D. There will be six new gates in Concourse D for domestic flights as well as new food and shopping options. It will be open by the year 2020. 

One of two new terminal wings is also under construction, where there will be more ticketing counters and gates. 

“More people are coming to Nashville and more people from Nashville are going other places,” said Porter. “We’re really growing and expanding to accommodate that need.” 

The airport already sees an average of 40,000 passengers each day. That number is expected to grow over the next five years to 46,000 passengers a day. 

When the new terminal wings open in 2020 the Central terminal, which most of us are familiar with, will close for construction. 

The central terminal will be three stories higher than it is right now. There will be more than double the number of security lines, more ticketing, gates and there will be a sky bridge connecting the terminal to parking.  

The look of the airport will also change, including the carpet. Its distinct look has garnered its own Instagram account.  

“Yes, it will be phased out,” said Porter. “We’ll have what you call terrazzo and it’s a very nice tile as we look to update the look of the terminal throughout.” 

All airport changes will be finished in 2023.