The Metropolitan Oakland International Airport will be renamed the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, following a unanimous vote by the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners on Thursday.
The move has already met with strong criticism from officials at San Francisco International Airport, and is almost certain to result in legal battles over whether the new name infringes on SFO’s existing brand.
The decision to rename the airport was based on the airport’s location on San Francisco Bay and its proximity to numerous notable locations, such as Wine Country, several colleges and universities, and the cities of San Francisco and Berkeley, officials said. The airport’s three-letter code, OAK, will not change.
“The convenience and ease of traveling through OAK won’t change with our name,” said interim Director of Aviation Craig Simon. “OAK is the closest major airport to 58 percent of the Bay Area population. The combined population of the counties closest to OAK is 4.1 million compared with 1.5 million in San Francisco and San Mateo counties. This designation will let the world know who we serve.”
On Thursday, the Port of Oakland also announced that they will pursue a lawsuit in response to San Francisco’s lawsuit over the name change. They have asked the U.S. District Court to rule that the name “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport” does not infringe on San Francisco International Airport’s trademark.
On April 18, San Francisco filed a lawsuit seeking to block the renaming of Oakland International Airport to “protect SFO’s trademark.” The move has also been widely criticized by several Bay Area figures, including San Francisco tourism and hospitality interests, travelers, California legislators and the Oakland Chapter of the NAACP.
“I fully understand the importance of passenger growth to an airport, but this current renaming proposal does not represent the best interests of Bay Area travelers,” SFO Airport Director Ivar C. Satero said in a statement Wednesday. “I urge the Port to Oakland to work with San Francisco to find a collaborative solution that averts a protracted legal challenge.”
While San Francisco has argued that the name will confuse people flying into the region, the port asserted that “the San Francisco Bay Area can contain more than one airport.” The port stated that the new name does not infringe on SFO’s trademark because the airport’s “I FLY OAK” logo and IATA code, OAK, will not change.
In a letter to the port’s board of commissioners on May 7, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu urged them to reconsider their plans to rename the Oakland International Airport. According to Chiu, his letter continued to urge the port to collaborate to avoid the lawsuit.
“The San Francisco’s City Attorney’s decision to pursue litigation is an attempt to stop consumer education, prevent expanded air travel options for Bay Area residents and visitors, and is a misguided use of San Francisco taxpayer dollars,” said port attorney Mary Richardson. “OAK is committed to enhancing its airline routes and increasing competition for the benefit of all of San Francisco Bay Area’s visitors and residents, including those residing in the city and county of San Francisco. We stand ready and willing to partner with SFO to increase choices for travelers and invite any productive dialogue to this end.”
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.