Metro Council Backs South Nashville on Flight Paths

Council members approved a resolution asking the airport authority to relay residents' noise concerns to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Air Travel

Screen-print poster illustration of a single silhouetted jet climbing above rooftops and tree canopy in muted mustard, teal, and cream. — Metro Council approved a 25-2 resolution urging the Nashville airport authority to relay South Nashville residents' flight-noise complaints to the FAA. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Metro Council approved a substitute resolution 25-2, with one abstention, supporting South Nashville residents affected by flight paths at Nashville International Airport. The measure asks the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority to share residents' concerns with the FAA and to make aircraft and noise information public.

Why it matters

Neither Metro Council nor the airport authority can independently change departure headings, which are set by the FAA. Residents say flights over their neighborhoods have increased for nearly two years, and the issue is also being challenged in federal court.

Residents in portions of southern Davidson County reported more than 150 flights over some homes on certain days, with noise reaching as high as 90 decibels. The FAA has not announced any change to the departure headings under dispute.

The players

Metro Council

The legislative body of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County, which voted to approve the resolution.

Federal Aviation Administration

The federal agency that controls departure headings at Nashville International Airport and proposed the changes at issue.

Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority

The public body that operates Nashville International Airport and is asked by the resolution to relay residents' concerns to the FAA.

The details

The resolution asks that affected residents be notified of future FAA proposals involving significant changes to departure procedures. The FAA said its proposed departure-heading changes were designed to improve aircraft separation and controller efficiency, and it held a virtual public workshop on March 6, 2025.

March 6, 2025: FAA held a virtual public workshop on the proposed departure-heading changes.
Thursday night (November 5, 2026): Metro Council approved the substitute resolution 25-2.
Dec. 3: A judge is scheduled to decide the future of the federal case.

Seasonal Patterns

The dispute follows the FAA's broader practice of revising departure headings to improve aircraft separation, a federal process local governments can petition but not directly alter. Local leaders are now routing resident complaints through the airport authority and the courts rather than through the agency itself.

Residents under the disputed flight paths can request FAA notice of future departure-procedure proposals through the airport authority. Travelers flying out of Nashville International Airport should expect that departure headings may change depending on the outcome of the federal case.

The takeaway

Local flight-path disputes often hinge on federal decisions, so residents affected by departure headings benefit from engaging both the airport authority and the FAA. The December court date will show whether the challenge changes how Nashville's flight paths are set.

What happens next

A judge is scheduled to decide the future of the federal case on Dec. 3, which could determine whether the disputed departure headings remain in place.