Oakland’s Plans to Rename Airport ‘San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport’ Sparks Outrage

The Port of Oakland’s plan to change the name of Oakland International Airport to San Francisco Oakland International Airport was met with widespread derision on Monday, sparking outrage from both lawmakers and San Francisco airport officials.

The plan was released late Friday. According to Oakland Airport officials, the airport’s name is often confusing for travelers, as the name of the airport fails to give the impression just how close the airport is to San Francisco. That lack of understanding, according to airport officials, have also cost the airport major airline routes and passengers. While officials have said that the airport will not be changing their airport code away from OAK or any Oakland visual branding, it would create an overall identity change.

“The Port is considering a name modification to boost inbound travelers’ geographic awareness of the airport’s location on the San Francisco Bay,” said Port Commission President Barbara Leslie in a statement on Friday. “This will protect our airport’s over 30,000 good-paying, direct jobs and $1.6 billion in economic impact on the region. The new name would boost inbound travelers’ geographic awareness of the airport’s location on the San Francisco Bay.”

On April 11th, the Port of Oakland will consider modifying the airport’s name to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. The code OAK and visual brand will not change. Hear from Port Board President Barbara Leslie, and read the full release here: https://t.co/mILTlUx7fy pic.twitter.com/gFsO7qY9Ws

— Oakland Intl Airport (@IFlyOAKland) March 29, 2024

Port of Oakland Interim Director of Aviation Craig Simon added that “OAK consistently hears from local travelers about their desire for more direct flights to domestic and global destinations. To make this happen, travelers who live outside the region need to learn that OAK is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and close to the region’s top destinations.

“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. From July 2008 to March 2024, the Airport added 54 new routes; 39 of these and 6 pre-existing destinations were lost. A study also showed that over half of international travelers did not know the Oakland airport was in the San Francisco Bay Area, and that 30% of domestic travelers are unaware of the airport’s location and its proximity to most of the Bay Area’s population and most of the region’s employers.”

Airport officials reiterated the importance of a name change in a video released this weekend.

Initially the name change proposal received approval from a few of the carriers operating out of Oakland Airport.

“Oakland helped put us on the map in California and we’re wholeheartedly supportive of this rebranding that acknowledges OAK’s economic position and influence in the San Francisco Bay area while staying true to its Oakland roots,” said Jennifer Bridie, Vice President of Marketing Communications & Strategy at Southwest Airlines.

However, over the weekend and on Monday, a strong backlash from San Francisco International Airport and many Bay Area lawmakers. They said that the name change would only confuse travelers with a mix up over the San Francisco Airport name. Many travelers would also likely book wrongly because of the name change, constituting lost connections and a long travel distance between airports.

“We are deeply concerned about the potential for customer confusion and disservice that could result from this proposed renaming,” said SFO Airport Director Ivar C. Satero in a statement on Monday. ” SFO has operated since 1927 and has used the name ‘San Francisco Airport’ or ‘San Francisco International Airport’ for most of its history, making it immediately recognizable to customers. Given this history, we anticipate the new name being considered by the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport will cause confusion for the public, either through a misunderstanding of its physical location or its perceived relationship to SFO. This concern is only compounded considering SFO’s status as a major international gateway.”

“We request the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport not proceed with any name change that would incorporate the use of ‘San Francisco’, as this would only result in confusion and inconvenience to the traveling public we all serve.”

In addition, an anonymous assistant to a San Francisco City Official told the Globe Monday, “There’s a lot of people on the other side of the Bay angry at this. First of all, Oakland doesn’t trust itself or think they are different enough to even use their own name anymore, which is sad. They’re losing a lot, including all their sports teams. They can’t afford to lose their airport too. But also, This is just going to wind up with more confusion. San Francisco is San Francisco. Oakland is Oakland. People know that. Maybe highlight just how quickly people can get into San Francisco from Oakland airport first in ads rather than rely on a desperate name change. If it changes, there also might just be political consequences. Oakland isn’t stealing that name without a fight.”

The Oakland airport name change, which was first proposed back in 2007, is to be considered at the next Port of Oakland meeting on April 11th.