NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A federal lawsuit is challenging new flight paths at Nashville International Airport, with South Nashville residents and the City of Oak Hill arguing the FAA failed to properly study the impact on neighborhoods below.
The lawsuit was filed by a community group called Course Correct Nashville, alongside the City of Oak Hill and the Crieve Hall Neighborhood Association, in federal court against the FAA.
Kellee Johnson, a South Nashville resident and member of Course Correct Nashville, said as many as 160 planes now fly over her home every day.
"We hear air traffic from Nashville International Airport starting sometimes 4:45 in the morning till about 11:30 at night," Johnson said.
"It's just the amount of traffic dispersed under one flight path that's the problem," Johnson said.
The lawsuit challenges updated flight routes at BNA. In March 2025, during a public workshop, the FAA said the updated routes were designed to improve safety and manage growing air traffic.
"The goal is to increase the efficiency in operation and disperse aircraft headings. This should allow for more diverse flight paths and enhance the airspace and proficiency of the operations," Andrew Pieroni with the FAA said at the March 2025 public workshop.
Residents argue the FAA concentrated more departures over neighborhoods and Radnor Lake State Park without fully studying the environmental and community impacts.
According to court filings, the FAA determined the changes would not create significant noise impacts and qualified for a categorical exclusion, meaning a more extensive environmental assessment or environmental impact statement was not required.
Johnson said the concerns go beyond noise.
"What we're more concerned about than the noise, because it's kind of to be expected, is that the fair process and governance wasn't followed by the FAA, so that is what we're about as Course Correct Nashville. We want fair process and responsible flight paths, and better growth as our city continues to expand," Johnson said.
Neighbors say the frequency of flights has dramatically changed daily life.
"We're hearing from people 15, 20 miles away from the airport about a radius of all different neighborhoods that are saying that something drastic has changed, and the flights are too low, and they're not dispersed as the FAA had promised the public," Johnson said.
The FAA declined to comment because of the pending litigation. But the officials say that on March 6, 2025, the FAA, along with Nashville International Airport and other aviation stakeholders, held a virtual public workshop to explain the proposed changes to headings and procedures in and around BNA. The workshop provided information and allowed the local community the opportunity to ask about the proposed changes during a live Q&A.
More information about the virtual public workshop is available at faa.gov/air_traffic/community_engagement/nash_bna.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will now decide whether the FAA followed the proper federal review process when approving the flight path changes.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
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