By Sydney Dalske
A dispute has begun between two of the largest airports in the bay area: SFO and Oakland airport. This fight is based on the proposal of a name change for Oakland airport to become “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport” in order to improve geographic awareness for travelers not from the area. However, this proposal has been faced with fierce opposition from SFO and the city of San Francisco itself.
SFO and its city attorney argue that using their city’s name in the title of Oaklands airport violates their federally registered trademark, which has been in place for almost a century. The attorney has also threatened legal action if the name change is approved during the meeting on April 11th. Both SFO’s airport director and the city attorney have said they will sue in order to block Oakland from using “San Francisco” in their name.
But the Port of Oakland has pushed back in the fight, arguing that the new name simply clarifies the airport’s location and will reduce confusion rather than create more. Their aviation officials have proved that travelers lack awareness of where the Oakland airport is located in the bay. They believe it will boost the airport’s profile.
Alongside SFO, San Mateos county supervisors have unanimously opposed Oaklands plan, but final decisions will come from the Port of Oakland board. If approved on April 11th, a second vote will follow on April 25th, which may mean their new name could take effect before the end of this month.
This fight highlights branding rivalries within the bay area, and as one of the world’s most prominent airport locations, shows the value each side sees in being associated with the region’s most recognized name.
The outcome of this meeting has been a unanimous vote in favor of the name change. This is a major step towards the legal battle between the two airports but the port of Oakland remains defiant. With this initial vote passed, a final approval is scheduled for the May 9th meeting. Unless a compromise can be made before then, there may be a major lawsuit following.
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