What Do You Do If You Have an Early Morning Flight From Nashville?

February 19, 2026

Early morning flights out of BNA require some advance planning because the airport infrastructure starts working before the city itself does. Here’s what you need to know to get through the airport without starting your trip in a panic.

Security Opens at 3:30am

The TSA security checkpoint at BNA opens daily at 3:30am CST. This is the official opening time confirmed by the airport’s security page. If your flight departs at 5am or 6am, security will be open. CLEAR lanes, however, open at 4:30am, not at checkpoint open. Keep that in mind if you’re depending on CLEAR to skip the standard line.

BNA recommends arriving 2 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights. For an early morning flight departing at 6am, that means arriving at the airport by 4am. For a 5am flight, 3am. These windows account for parking, bag check if applicable, and security.

Security wait times at 4am are minimal. The standard estimate is under 10 minutes during those early hours before the first wave of business travelers arrives. The busiest security period is 6-9am when multiple departure waves stack up. If your flight is at 6:30am and you arrive at 4:30am, you are ahead of the rush. If you’re scrambling to get there at 5:45am for a 6:30am flight, you might be fine but you’re gambling.

Getting to the Airport Early

Uber and Lyft operate 24/7. The advantage of rideshare in the early morning hours is genuine because there’s no traffic, the ride from downtown to BNA takes 10-12 minutes, and surge pricing is essentially nonexistent at 3am or 4am on most days. Exception: major events that just ended. If there was a Predators playoff game or a sold-out concert at Bridgestone, demand can spike even at late hours. Check prices before you commit.

Taxis are available 24/7 at the Ground Transportation Center and charge the flat $30 rate to downtown regardless of time. For peace of mind at 4am, some travelers prefer the guaranteed price of a cab.

Driving and parking: If you’re dropping off a car at BNA long-term parking, the parking garages operate around the clock. The Economy lot (farthest from the terminal) requires a shuttle, which also runs 24/7. The Terminal Garages 1 and 2 are connected directly to the building. Getting to the airport early also means you can take your time finding a spot without the stress of a full garage mid-day.

Hotel at the airport: The on-property Hilton (298 rooms, open since February 2024) sits directly above Terminal Garage 2 via a skybridge. For someone with a 5am or 6am flight, staying there the night before eliminates all ground transportation math. It’s more expensive than off-airport hotels but removes any variable from the morning.

Embassy Suites Nashville Airport on Elm Hill Pike (about 2 minutes from BNA) offers a free airport shuttle and starts complimentary made-to-order breakfast at 6am. Hyatt Place Nashville Airport on McGavock Pike also has a free shuttle. For early departures, these hotels make the morning significantly simpler.

Food Before Early Flights

There is one cafe in the terminal outside the secure area. Almost everything at BNA operates after security. Once you’re through, Bongo Java opens around 4:30-5am. Most of the restaurant options in the concourses open between 5am and 7am. Hattie B’s offers a breakfast menu until 10am including specialty biscuits exclusive to the airport.

If you’re departing before 5am and need food, eat before you leave for the airport or grab something near your hotel. Don’t count on the airport having food ready when you walk in.

Real ID Requirement

As of May 7, 2025, all travelers 18 and older must present a REAL ID-compliant license or a passport to clear security at BNA. Standard Tennessee driver’s licenses issued before the state’s compliance deadline are no longer accepted. Check your license before your trip. If you’re not sure whether yours complies, look for the star marking in the upper right corner. If there’s no star, bring your passport.

The Night Before

The most common mistake for early morning BNA flights is underestimating Nashville’s own activity level the night before. If your flight is at 6am, a Broadway night that goes until 2am is not compatible with that schedule unless you’re unusually resilient. Give yourself whatever pre-flight buffer actually matches how you function after minimal sleep. The airport is forgiving in the early hours, but humans who got three hours of sleep are not.

Sources

  • BNA Official: Security Screening page – flynashville.com/security-screening
  • FlightPark: TSA Nashville TN tips (February 2025) – flightpark.net
  • FlightPark: Is Nashville Airport Busy? (September 2025) – flightpark.net
  • iFly: BNA Airport Security Wait Times – ifly.com
  • AirportsInsight: BNA TSA Security Wait Times – airportsinsight.com
  • Upgraded Points: Nashville International Airport 2025 Terminal Guide – upgradedpoints.com

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