OAKLAND — Despite a wave of criticism — and even a lawsuit — Oakland International Airport is officially getting a controversial new name.
The Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners, which oversees the East Bay transit hub, voted unanimously Thursday to re-name the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The airport will retain its International Air Transport Association code OAK — and that’s not the only thing, said Interim Director of Aviation Craig Simon.
“The convenience and ease of traveling through OAK won’t change with our name,” said 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.”
The same day, the port also fired back at angry officials across the bay who say the move will cause confusion among travelers with a new lawsuit — in part responding to a lawsuit San Francisco filed in April on behalf of San Francisco International Airport arguing that the name change would infringe on the trademark status of the Peninsula travel hub’s name.
“The Port is asking for a declaratory judgment, which is a ruling by the court that the new name does not infringe upon SFO’s trademark … and that SFO’s trademark does not extend to use of ‘San Francisco Bay’,” the Port of Oakland said in a statement.
SFO, which is south of San Francisco in San Mateo County, and OAK sit on opposite sides of the San Francisco Bay.
Renaming the East Bay aviation hub, and the increasingly tangled legal war the process has generated, is part of a push by OAK airport officials to dramatically raise the profile of the travel complex, which has struggled to rebound in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2023, Oakland handled only about 11.24 million passengers. San Francisco, by contrast, handled more than 50 million. OAK has also lost dozens of routes.
San Francisco officials say that on multiple occasions they attempted to collaborate with Port of Oakland officials to find an alternative name for the East Bay airport as a way to avoid a full-fledged legal battle.
“We had hoped Oakland would come to its senses,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said in a statement.
San Francisco officials say they are concerned the new name with “San Francisco” at the beginning will leave tourists perplexed.
“In particular, Oakland Airport’s proposal to include ‘San Francisco’ at the front of its new name, closely followed by the words ‘International Airport’ is problematic, as it will almost certainly cause confusion among consumers and the public generally,” the San Francisco City Attorney’s office said in its lawsuit.
But Oakland airport officials believe the San Francisco lawsuit is an attempt to keep consumers in the dark about the air travel choices they have when deciding between SFO and OAK.
“The San Francisco 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,” Port of Oakland attorney Mary Richardson said.
East Bay airport officials say they want to broaden choices for air travelers.
“Oakland International Airport 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,” Richardson said.
