OAKLAND — Weeks after a new name for Oakland International Airport was announced, San Francisco International Airport is publicly objecting to a second attempt at rebranding, again raising concerns about traveler confusion and intellectual property rights.
In late June, port officials, who oversee operations of the Oakland airport, announced their intention to rebrand it as Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport. The move is meant to boost the airport’s visibility, the number of flights and the local economy. The new name also signals the airport’s intent to put “Oakland first,” port officials said.
A similar rebranding was attempted last May when the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners voted in support of renaming the airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.
The decision was met by swift condemnation and a legal challenge from San Francisco International Airport officials and its legal team which argued the new name would confuse travelers and was a copyright infringement.
Officials with San Francisco International Airport are now publicly objecting to the second new name on the same grounds, according to a statement shared with this publication.
“We are disappointed that the Port of Oakland has yet again announced an airport rebrand that seeks to capitalize on the San Francisco International Airport’s globally recognized brand,” read the statement. “But this year’s name, like last year’s name, invites traveler confusion and risks jeopardizing the brand identity we have built through decades of investment and service to the region.”
In the statement, which they planned to share during a Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners meeting Thursday, San Francisco International Airport officials also took issue with the Port of Oakland announcing the name without first consulting San Francisco International Airport officials, and questioned the port’s stated goal to “put Oakland first” given that the port is still defending the original proposed name in court.
The port filed an appeal in December 2024 of a Northern California District Court ruling by Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixon who sided with San Francisco International Airport’s argument that the original rebranding name would lead travelers to believe the two airports are associated with each other, creating “irreparable harm” for San Francisco International Airport.
“We urge the Port to reconsider, and we remain committed to working with them to find an alternative name that addresses their stated concerns while respecting our intellectual property rights,” read San Francisco International Airport’s statement.
Reached for a comment on the airport’s latest objections, Port of Oakland spokesperson Kaley Skantz pointed to the June 27 press release announcing the name change and an attached letter sent to San Francisco officials, both of which explain the justification behind the new name.
In the letter signed by Craig Simon, director of aviation for the Port of Oakland, they argue that the Port of Oakland has a right to reference the San Francisco Bay in the airport name because the airport is on the waterfront of the bay.
While they argue that the original new name did not infringe on the San Francisco airport’s copyright, which they say will be proven in court, the latest iteration of the rebrand is meant to be responsive to the court order by not containing all of the San Francisco International Airport name in the new Oakland airport name or putting San Francisco first.
“Given these changes, the city should not have any concerns for any purported potential for consumer confusion regarding the proposed name,” read the letter signed by Simon.
Port commissioners were meeting at 3 p.m. Thursday to possibly vote on the new rebranding effort.
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