San Francisco is suing its neighbor across the bay over a plan to change the name of Oakland Airport.
Earlier this month, Oakland Port Commissioners voted unanimously to change the name of Oakland International Airport to “Oakland San Francisco Bay Area International Airport.”
“The feedback we are getting (from airlines)… is that because there is a lack of name recognition… it is difficult to sell tickets on arrival,” said Danny Wan, executive director of the port from Oakland. “People don’t know that Oakland is on the San Francisco Bay. This has been one of the Achilles heels of our marketing.
The new name would not change the airport’s three-letter identifier, OAK.
San Francisco filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday, asking the court to enjoin Oakland from using the name, alleging that Oakland plans to “intentionally and knowingly profit from the confusion.”
The City of San Francisco has a trademark on “San Francisco International Airport”, commonly referred to by its three-letter code, SFO.
SF Mayor: Oakland ‘has its own unique identity’
San Francisco Mayor London Breed also spoke. “(Oakland) is rich in wonderful culture and people and has its own unique identity. It does not need the name San Francisco as part of its airport to stand out,” she wrote in a letter to the Port of Oakland.
Wan rejected the idea that the new name could cause confusion.
“There are many, many airports that have a similar or common city name or geographic identification in their title…And yet the airlines have figured out how to do it. Airports have figured out how to do this. The passengers understood how to proceed.
Mary Richardson, attorney for the Port of Oakland, told CNN that “the San Francisco lawsuit is disappointing. The name change proposed by OAK does not infringe on the SFO brand. We will vigorously defend our right to claim our place in San Francisco Bay. We stand up for Oakland and our East Bay community.
How are airlines reacting?
At least one airline has already started using the new name.
Azores Airlines, which serves Oakland and the island of Terceira in the Portuguese Atlantic archipelago, now lists OAK under the proposed new name.
United Airlines, which has more than 40% of the SFO market, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, told CNN it opposed the proposed name change.
An airline representative said: “The name change could create confusion and inconvenience for many travelers who are unfamiliar with the area, and lead to issues such as passengers inadvertently booking travel to the wrong airport. . »
Southwest, which has an 82% market share in Oakland, said in a press release with the port that it “wholeheartedly supports this rebranding which recognizes OAK’s economic position and influence in the region of the San Francisco Bay Area while remaining true to its Oakland roots. » Southwest did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Final approval of the name change awaits a second vote by the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners on May 9.
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