Oakland officials vote to add “San Francisco Bay” to Oakland International Airport’s name

Officers with the Port of Oakland on Thursday voted in favor of fixing the identify of the town’s airport to San Francisco Bay Oakland Worldwide Airport, regardless of a threatened lawsuit by San Francisco over what it calls a trademark violation.

The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously throughout a gathering early Thursday night to approve the change from the present identify, Oakland Worldwide Airport. The airport code OAK and visible model won’t change, port officers mentioned. 

“We’re standing up for Oakland and the East Bay; this can enhance inbound vacationers’ geographic consciousness of the airport by highlighting the airport’s location on the San Francisco Bay.” Port Fee President Barbara Leslie mentioned in a press launch issued by the Port of Oakland. “This identify will make it clear that OAK is the closest main airport, for 4.1 million individuals, three nationwide laboratories, the highest public college within the nation, and California’s Wine Nation.”   

The Board has scheduled a second studying and vote on the problem for the Could ninth board assembly that might make the change official. 

After the vote, San Francisco Metropolis Legal professional David Chiu confirmed that he would combat the transfer in court docket.

“We’re dissatisfied that Oakland didn’t take the chance to work collaboratively with us to develop different names and we now don’t have any selection however to take authorized motion,” Chiu mentioned in a press release Thursday.  

In response, the Port of Oakland’s lawyer Mary Richardson launched a press release of her personal.

“The Port’s proposed renaming doesn’t infringe upon SFO’s mark. SFO can’t lay declare to the geographically-descriptive time period ‘San Francisco,’ not to mention declare unique rights to San Francisco Bay,” the assertion learn. “The Port trusts that vacationers perceive that the San Francisco Bay — like just about each different main metropolitan space all through the world — can include multiple airport. The Port will take all cheap measures to make sure readability for vacationers with respect to OAK’s geographic location and distinctiveness.”

The controversy over the identify first got here up on March 29 when Oakland Worldwide Airport officers first went public with the thought within the hopes of boosting the variety of passengers flying to and from the East Bay.  

The concept has been met with pushback from officers each with the San Francisco Worldwide Airport and the town itself. 

Oakland Worldwide officers have defended the identify change, claiming the airport has rallied the assist of native politicians within the East Bay, together with Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.

“The identify modification will use the principle geographic function of our area to establish its location, the San Francisco Bay,” mentioned Craig Simon, the airport’s interim aviation director. “This isn’t in regards to the Metropolis and County of San Francisco, or San Mateo County, however about our area and creating jobs in Oakland and all through the East Bay. Nobody owns the title to the San Francisco Bay.”  

Earlier this week, San Francisco Metropolis Legal professional David Chiu warned of a possible lawsuit.

“Do you have to proceed in these efforts, I intend to pursue authorized motion to stop your use of the proposed new identify,” Chiu mentioned in a letter to commissioners on the Port of Oakland.

He argued that proposal to vary the official identify would infringe on the logos of San Francisco Worldwide Airport.

“The Metropolis has held these registrations for such a very long time that they’ve grow to be incontestable underneath federal legislation,” Chiu mentioned. “Certainly there’s and solely ever has been one airport in america that makes use of ‘San Francisco’ in its identify.”

Town lawyer additionally argued {that a} renaming would trigger confusion for vacationers.

San Mateo County officers have additionally spoken out in opposition to the thought.