The Port of San Francisco and the Port of Oakland announced on April 28th that they have reached a settlement regarding the trademark dispute over the name of Oakland Airport. The airport will continue to be named “Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport.”
In March 2024, the Port of Oakland renamed “Oakland International Airport” to “Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport,” citing the difficulty of attracting direct flights with the original name.
Initially, the Port of Oakland stated that the airport had low visibility outside the Bay Area and faced challenges in search result rankings.
San Francisco opposed the renaming and in April 2024, filed a lawsuit against the Port of Oakland and the City of Oakland on grounds of trademark infringement.
Melissa Andretta, Director of Air Service Development and Marketing at San Francisco International Airport, commented that in the United States, it is rare for a major airport to be named differently from the city it serves. She expressed concerns that the use of the name “Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport” could confuse passengers into thinking the two airports are related.
Andretta pointed out that issues faced by passengers at Oakland Airport could be wrongly attributed to San Francisco or San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The new name could also lead passengers to confuse it with SFO and even purchase tickets for the wrong airport.
She emphasized that customer satisfaction at Oakland Airport was significantly lower than at San Francisco International Airport, and the confusion between the two airports could negatively impact the reputation of SFO.
A preliminary injunction prevented the Port of Oakland from using the name “Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport,” leading Oakland to appeal. Subsequently, the Port of Oakland renamed the airport to “Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport,” which was allowed to be used.
As per the settlement agreement, Oakland Airport may not display the words “San Francisco” more prominently than “Oakland” in any promotional materials. The Port of Oakland also agreed not to add “SF” to its International Air Transport Association code, which currently remains as “OAK”.
Mike Nakornkhet, Director of San Francisco International Airport, expressed satisfaction with the resolution, stating that the agreement allows passengers to make clearer choices in deciding which airport to use for their travels.