On Thursday, 18 April, the city of San Francisco sued the city of Oakland after officials voted to change the name of the latter city’s airport. Earlier this month, Port of Oakland’s commissioners voted unanimously to change the name of the city’s airport to Oakland San Francisco Bay Area International Airport. The airport would however keep its three-letter IATA identifier, OAK.
San Francisco city officials reacted quickly arguing that including San Francisco in the name could confuse travellers. Another side effect may be that the change could have a financial impact on the city’s own airport. “Our hope was that Oakland would reconsider its position,” said David Chiu, San Francisco’s city attorney. “However, their persistent refusal left no alternative but to protect our brand through legal means.”
The lawsuit seeks to stop the name change. It claims that the proposed name change not only creates confusion but also misleads, especially international visitors who are unfamiliar with the local geography or speak the language, potentially causing them to travel to the wrong airport.
The Port of Oakland, however, is set to defend its decision. “OAK’s name change does not violate SFO’s trademark rights. We are prepared to defend our position and assert our rightful place as part of the San Francisco Bay Area,” the authority said in a statement.
“The feedback we get is that, because there is lack of name recognition it is hard to sell tickets inbound,” Danny Wan, executive director for the Port of Oakland, told CNN. “People do not know that Oakland is by the San Francisco Bay. That has been one of the Achilles’ heels of our marketing.”
With the legal battle ongoing and awaiting a court decision, the outcome could have far-reaching consequences on how cities use geographic names in marketing and their impact on regional business and tourism. “There are many airports with similar or common city names or geographical identifiers in their titles,” said Wan. “And yet, the airlines have figured it out. Airports have figured it out. Passengers have figured it out.”
The public now awaits the Oakland Board of Commissioners’ final decision, which is currently scheduled for 9 May. In light of San Francisco’s defensive stance, the Oakland Board’s final choice could cement the airport’s new name or mark the beginning of a legal dispute.
“San Francisco’s lawsuit is disappointing,” attorney for the Port of Oakland, Mary Richardson, told CNN. “OAK’s proposed renaming does not infringe upon SFO’s mark. We will vigorously defend our right to claim our spot on the San Francisco Bay. We are standing up for Oakland and our East Bay community.”
Clarity and fairness in branding remain critical in the battle between San Francisco and Oakland as they navigate the complexities of regional identity and economic interests tied to their respective airports.
Mixed reaction from airlines
According to CNN, only Azores Airlines has already begun to use Oakland Airport’s new full name. This airline flies to the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
United Airlines, which accounts for over 40% of the traffic at San Francisco airport, opposed the name change. It cited the risk of confusion and “passengers inadvertently booking travel to the wrong airport”.
Southwest, which operates the vast majority of flights at Oakland airport, said in a statement that it “fully supports this rebranding, which recognizes OAK’s economic position and influence in the San Francisco Bay Area, while remaining true to its Oakland roots”.
