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FAA and Nashville airport authority outline new departure headings and PBN at BNA
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Summary
The FAA and Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority presented revised departure headings and performance‑based navigation (PBN) for Nashville International Airport in 2025, saying the changes aim to improve safety, reduce delays and provide more predictable flight paths for surrounding communities.
Doug Krewland, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, opened a Federal Aviation Administration community engagement video by framing recent airspace updates as essential to managing rapid growth at Nashville International Airport (BNA). "These updates are designed to enhance the efficiency, safety, and overall management of airspace," Krewland said, noting BNA handled a record 25,700,000 passengers in 2025 and that the airport and nearby John C. Tune Airport together support substantial regional economic activity.
The FAA presenter described two linked changes implemented in 2025: revised departure headings (implemented in April 2025) and amended performance‑based navigation procedures (PBN) rolled out in fall 2025. The FAA said the departure headings allow controllers to assign one of several standard headings in north flow (typically 345°, 020° and 055°) and in south flow (including 252°, 220° and 160°), keeping aircraft within existing track dispersion areas while providing more flexibility to manage traffic and avoid conflicts with operations at John C. Tune Airport and Smyrna Airport.
The FAA also explained that updated PBN procedures give aircraft more predictable flight paths and allow climbs to higher altitudes more quickly, which the agency said "can mean less noise for surrounding communities." The agency listed specific procedure updates at BNA: optimization of 12 instrument approaches, 11 standard instrument departures (SIDs), and 4 standard terminal arrivals (STARs). According to the video, the updated STARs took effect on 2025‑10‑02 and the updated SIDs on 2025‑11‑27.
Taken together, the FAA and airport authority said the changes aim to reduce departure delays, improve airspace management for controllers, and shorten flight distances to benefit passengers and national airspace stakeholders. Krewland framed the updates within BNA's broader expansion program — a completed $1.5 billion program and an ongoing $3.0 billion "New Horizon" expansion — and highlighted recent capacity additions including a 160,000‑square‑foot Concourse D extension with five new gates.
The FAA presenter emphasized that the agency held a public workshop prior to implementing the new departure headings and encouraged continued community engagement: "To learn more about how the FAA engages with communities, please visit our website."
