San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport? Why formal name change is possible for this airport
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The Port of Oakland is considering altering the Oakland airport's formal name-- the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport.
Officials want to replace the word "metropolitan" with "San Francisco Bay."
The full name would read: San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.
It would reportedly help airline service sustain passenger traffic and reaffirm the airport's proximity to San Francisco.
The airport code and visual brand would stay the same.
MORE: SFO international terminal to be renamed after late US Sen. Dianne Feinstein
While the airport code would remain OAK, the new name would "boost inbound travelers' geographic awareness of the airport's location on the San Francisco Bay," Port Commission President Barbara Leslie said in a statement Friday.
The airport has lost routes, including 39 of 54 that were added from July 2008 to March 2024, Interim Director of Aviation Craig Simon said.
"Market research and interviews with airline partners have shown that routes have not performed as well as they should have due to the lack of geographic awareness, making air carriers reluctant to sustain and add new routes in Oakland," he said.
Rechristening the airport would protect 30,000 direct jobs and $1.6 billion in economic impact on the region, Leslie said.
The port's commissioners will consider the name change at their April 11 meeting.
Bay City News contributed to this report
If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
