Metropolitan Oakland International Airport shall be renamed San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport following a unanimous vote by the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners on Thursday.
The move has already drawn strong criticism from officials at San Francisco International Airport and can almost definitely result in litigation over whether the brand new name violates SFO's existing trademark.
The decision to rename the airport was based on the airport's location on the San Francisco Bay and its proximity to quite a few notable locations equivalent to Wine Country, several colleges and universities, and the cities of San Francisco and Berkeley, officials said. The airport's three-letter code, OAK, is not going to change.
“The comfort and ease of travel through OAK will not change with our name,” said Craig Simon, interim director of aviation. “OAK is the closest major airport to 58 percent of the Bay Area population. The total population of the counties closest to OAK is 4.1 million, compared to 1.5 million in San Francisco and San Mateo counties. This designation will show the world who we serve.”
On Thursday, the Port of Oakland also announced that it will file 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” doesn’t infringe the San Francisco International Airport trademark.
On April 18, San Francisco filed a lawsuit to dam the renaming of Oakland International Airport to “protect SFO’s brand.” The move was also heavily criticized by several Bay Area figures, including San Francisco tourism and hospitality stakeholders, travelers, California lawmakers and the Oakland chapter of the NAACP.
“I fully understand how important passenger growth is 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 press release Wednesday. “I call on the Port of Oakland to work with San Francisco to find a collaborative solution that averts a protracted legal challenge.”
While San Francisco argued that the name would confuse people flying to the region, the port claimed that “the San Francisco Bay Area may contain more than one airport.” The port said the brand new name doesn’t violate SFO's trademark because the airport's “I FLY OAK” logo and IATA code, OAK, is not going to change.
In a May 7 letter to the port's board, San Francisco Attorney General David Chiu asked them to reconsider their plans to rename Oakland International Airport. According to Chiu, his letter further urged the port to cooperate to avoid the lawsuit.
“The San Francisco Attorney General’s decision to pursue litigation is an attempt to halt consumer education, prevent expanded air travel options for Bay Area residents and visitors, and is a misuse of San Francisco taxpayer dollars,” said Port Attorney Mary Richardson. “OAK is committed to improving its flight routes and improving competition for the benefit of all visitors and residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, including those residing in the City and County of San Francisco. We stand ready and willing to work with SFO to expand choice for travelers and invite any productive dialogue to that end.”
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
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