Oakland airport changing name to 'San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport'
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland port officials voted unanimously on Thursday to rename the city's airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.
The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners said that the name change would attract more nonstop destinations by boosting travelers' geographic awareness of the airport’s location on the San Francisco Bay.
Thursday's vote marked the final step needed to rename the airport from Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.
The airport’s (OAK) airport code won't change, and its logo will remain the same.
"Our Board came to these discussions with a shared love of Oakland and a desire to see our city and airport thrive," said Port Commission President Barbara Leslie. "Since our initial vote, the Port has met with dozens of community leaders and stakeholders and heard their concerns. We are moving forward with a commitment to honoring our past while building a stronger, more inclusive future."
In April, San Francisco filed a federal lawsuit against Oakland over the change, saying that it would cause confusion and is already affecting its airport financially.
San Francisco had offered to collaborate with Oakland on finding an alternative name and said it would withdraw the lawsuit if Oakland kept "San Francisco" from its name.
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said that following Thursday's vote, Oakland left him with no choice but to proceed with the litigation.
"It is disappointing that Oakland chose to ignore our multiple offers to collaborate on alternative names and avoid litigation. We have no choice but to move forward with next steps in our trademark lawsuit," he said.
San Francisco is asking the court to prevent Oakland airport from implementing the name-change and rule that the new name violates San Francisco International Airport’s trademark.
The Port of Oakland disputes San Francisco's claims and has filed a counterclaim against the city, Oakland airport officials said.
Port officials are asking for a judge to rule that the name does not infringe upon SFO’s trademark.
In the meantime, Oakland officials said it will move forward with the name change.