Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (above) and San Francisco International Airport are situated on opposite sides of the San Francisco Bay.
The city of San Francisco has threatened legal action if Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK) rebrands to include "San Francisco Bay" in its title, as the name-change spat between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and OAK escalates.
Both San Francisco’s mayor and city attorney penned public letters to the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners on April 8, sharply opposing the proposed OAK name change. The board is scheduled to consider approval of the name change on April 11.
The Port of Oakland, which runs OAK, announced in late March that it is seeking to change the name of the airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. SFO Director Ivar Satero quickly pushed back, saying he was “deeply concerned about the potential for customer confusion and disservice that could result from this proposed renaming.”
David Chiu, San Francisco’s city attorney, wrote in his April 8 letter that if the name change is approved, “then unfortunately the city [of San Francisco] will have no choice other than to pursue necessary legal action.”
OAK has argued that it is not understood globally that Oakland is located in the San Francisco Bay area, leading to airline routes underperforming and carriers being reluctant to maintain service.
The two airports sit 30 mi. apart on opposite sides of San Francisco Bay. Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Mexico’s Volaris, all of which serve OAK, have publicly voiced support for the name change, which the airlines say will add to passengers’ awareness of the airport’s location.
But SFO and San Francisco officials say the name change would create confusion among passengers, both those transiting to the airports locally and those around the world booking flights. They note SFO has used "San Francisco" in its title since 1927, creating a globally recognized hub.
Chiu wrote that the proposed OAK name change “is very likely to cause confusion and mistakes broadly,” adding “the problem will be particularly acute for an audience of international travelers who may not speak or read English.”
He warned the Port of Oakland that the city of San Francisco “has strong legal claims, including, among others, federal trademark infringement and federal trademark dilution claims, and related common law and state claims for trademark infringement, that we intend to bring in court against the Port of Oakland” if the name change is approved.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed told the Port of Oakland in a letter that she formally opposes the name change. “Given SFO’s stellar brand standing and associated name recognition in air transportation, this misguided proposal will cause confusion for the public,” she wrote.
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