Accusations fly as Port of Oakland refuses to give up on fight to add “San Francisco Bay” to its name

The Port of Oakland, operator of Oakland International Airport, has appealed a district court ruling against changing the name of its airport to the “San Francisco Bay Oakland Airport” in an effort to attract more travelers to the East Bay transportation hub.

The court filing is the latest chapter in a months-long dispute between the Port of Oakland and San Francisco International Airport over the potential name change to Oakland’s airport, which Port officials have said will expand airline consumers’ awareness of its location in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In May, the Port of Oakland commissioners unanimously voted in favor of changing Oakland International Airport’s name to the “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.” The decision was met with condemnation from SFO and its legal team, who filed suit against the name change. They claim it is confusing to travelers who are seeking out SFO, and infringes on the San Francisco airport’s copyright.

A Northern California District Court ruled against the Port of Oakland’s decision on Nov. 12 to prevent the name change. Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixon agreed with SFO, writing in his decision that Oakland International Airport’s rebranding effort would create confusion for travelers who would mistakenly associate it with San Francisco International Airport, adding that SFO would “suffer irreparable harm” and deprive the city of San Francisco of control over its name.

Port of Oakland officials, however, deny SFO’s accusations — and have fired back with a few of their own.

“The Port has no interest in passing off OAK as SFO. OAK is distinctly and proudly Oakland,” Port of Oakland attorney Mary Richardson said in a statement. “This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to stifle competition and travel choices for the Bay Area.”

Richardson also accused SFO officials of “trying to relegate OAK and Oakland to second-class citizens.”