SFO objects to "Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport" 2nd renaming attempt
San Francisco International Airport officials are again objecting to the attempt by Oakland Airport to incorporate "San Francisco Bay" in its official name.
On Thursday, the Port of Oakland's board of commissioners voted to approve renaming the airport as "Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport," which was proposed last month as an alternative to its original renaming attempt last year to "San Francisco Bay Oakland Airport."
The port said at the time that many out-of-town passengers were not aware of Oakland's location relative to the rest of the Bay Area, and that the change was designed to increase travel in and out of OAK and boost economic activity in the region.
The San Francisco city attorney filed suit over the name change, saying it infringed on the SFO trademark. After the Port of Oakland filed a countersuit and San Francisco sought an injunction against the renaming, a judge blocked Oakland Airport's use of "San Francisco Bay" in its name until the lawsuit between the two cities was resolved.
The Port of Oakland says the current version places Oakland at the front of the OAK brand, informs travelers that Oakland is a convenient and logical starting point for travelers to the Bay Area, and is located on the San Francisco Bay shoreline.
"We are proud to be a central gateway to the Bay Area, and we're proud to embrace a name that reflects both our local roots and regional reach," said the port's director of aviation, Craig Simon, in a prepared statement.
"We are disappointed that the Port of Oakland has yet again announced an airport rebrand that seeks to capitalize on the San Francisco International Airport's globally recognized brand," said a SFO spokesperson in an email to CBS News Bay Area. "Once again, Oakland announced another renaming proposal just days prior to taking a vote instead of having a good faith conversation with San Francisco. But this year's name, like last year's name, invites traveler confusion and risks jeopardizing the brand identity we have built through decades of investment and service to the region."
The statement also noted that despite the port's stated goal of "putting Oakland first," it is still defending last year's "San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport" name in court.
"We urge the Port to reconsider, and we remain committed to working with them to find an alternative name that addresses their stated concerns while respecting our intellectual property rights," the statement said.
The San Francisco City Attorney's Office has not announced a response to Oakland Airport's new renaming.
