OAKLAND — San Francisco has sued Oakland over a recent preliminary decision to add “San Francisco Bay” to the Oakland International Airport name, marking the start of a legal war over the new moniker.
The East Bay aviation complex is seeking a new name to heighten its profile among air travelers that are visiting the Bay Area.
A vehicle proceeds past signs for Oakland International Airport and the Port of Oakland on April 11, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport is the proposed new name for the East Bay travel complex.
The Port of Oakland on April 11 gave preliminary approval to the name change. The Oakland Port, which also operates the East Bay airport, was scheduled to take a final vote on the matter in May.
San Francisco struck back on Thursday, filing a lawsuit against the city of Oakland.
“We had hoped Oakland would come to its senses,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said in a prepared release. “The (Oakland’s) refusal to collaborate on an acceptable alternative name leaves us no choice but to file a lawsuit to protect SFO’s trademark.”
Port of Oakland officials decided to undertake the name change because of concerns that the East Bay airport’s profile has begun to wither in the economic shadows cast by San Francisco International Airport.
“The Metropolitan Oakland International Airport seeks to increase passengers and profits by rushing to unlawfully incorporate San Francisco International Airport’s trademarked name into its own,” San Francisco stated in its lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court.
The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners voted unanimously, 7-0, on April 11 to approve the name change to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.
This news organization requested a comment from the Port of Oakland regarding the latest in the name-change situation.
“We are going all-in with Oakland,” Barbara Leslie, president of the port’s board, said on Apri 11 just before voting for the new moniker. “We want to keep money in the local economy.”