San Francisco threatens to sue over possible Oakland airport name change

ByTim Johns KGO logo

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

SF threatens to sue over possible Oakland airport name change

San Francisco International Airport is fighting to stop Oakland International Airport from adding "San Francisco Bay" to its name.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco International Airport is fighting to stop Oakland International Airport from adding "San Francisco Bay" to its name.

"If Oakland chooses to move forward with its proposal, we will have no choice but to pursue legal action," said San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Chiu sending a letter to the Port of Oakland Commissioners over the potential name change of Oakland airport.

"We also believe the currently proposed name imposes on SFO's trademarks. SFO has been in operation for almost a century, since 1927. We've used San Francisco International Airport or San Francisco Airport throughout most of that history," Chiu said.

Last month, the Board announced its intention to rename the East Bay airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.

In a statement Monday, the Port doubling down on the proposal.

"The proposed name modification will clarify, not confuse. The new name identifies where OAK is actually located, which is on the San Francisco Bay. If the proposed name modification is approved by the Board, the Port will take all appropriate measures to defend its right to use this accurate geographic identifier."

While the possible name change has gotten a lot of condemnation in San Francisco, across the bay in Oakland, many local leaders have come out in support.

Several cite the economic benefits it could bring by attracting more tourists.

"Adding San Francisco to it certainly makes it more attractive or more recognizable to those that are traveling from out of the state or out of the country," said Oakland City Councilmember Noel Gallo.

But that could be exactly the problem, says Henry Harteveldt.

"I think if they go forward with this, it's going to be a disaster. It's going to absolutely be a customer service disaster," he said.

Harteveldt is a travel industry analyst and marketing expert.

He says if it goes through, he thinks the name change would cause confusion for travelers - many of whom, he says, might even accidentally fly to the wrong airport.

"That's going to create frustration. It's going to create customer service problems for airlines. And it risks leading to a lot of unhappy, frustrated travelers who could bad mouth the Bay Area as a result," said Harteveldt.

The Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners is set to meet Thursday to consider the potential name change.