What’s
in a name? Well,
officials at Oakland International Airport are hoping that adding
three little words to the official name of the airport will help attract
more visitors and airlines.
‘San Francisco Bay.’
There
is a strong movement to add those words to the official name of the
airport in Oakland. There is no doubt that the cosmopolitan city of San
Francisco has a stronger reputation than Oakland.
Heck, even the Golden State
Warriors of the National Basketball Association moved across the bay from
Oakland to San Francisco. But
does the home of the Golden Gate Bridge have that much allure and that much
pull?
San
Francisco already has its own airport in San Francisco International, which is biting
back on the proposed plan to change the name of the airport in Oakland. But
others want the name to change.
‘No one owns the title to the San Francisco Bay’
"The name modification will use the main geographic feature
of our region to identify its location, the San Francisco Bay," said Craig
Simon, the Oakland airport's
interim aviation director. "This is not about the City and County of San
Francisco, or San Mateo County, but about our region and creating jobs in
Oakland and throughout the East Bay.
"No one owns the title to the San Francisco
Bay. Modifying our name will help us compete for new destinations, which will
benefit all travelers," Simon continued. "There's no confusion; OAK has been located on the San
Francisco Bay since 1927."
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao threw his support behind the name
change.
"Considering a name modification to highlight our location
within the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area could offer several benefits,"
Thao said. "Notably, it could support the airport's efforts to secure more
direct flights to additional destinations, enhancing convenience for travelers
and potentially boosting tourism in Oakland. This adjustment isn't just about
signage—it's about inviting travelers to discover all that Oakland and the
region have to offer."
Councilmember Treva Reid, whose district covers the airport,
said she is in support of the renaming.
"The Oakland Airport is a billion-dollar regional asset to
protect, invest in, and uplift. As the city prioritizes deepening investments
and resources in the Hegenberger/Airport Area Corridor, we must leverage the
power of the expanded name to drive more tourism through this regional gateway
to strengthen our local economy," Reid said.
It isn’t a far-fetched idea considering that three airports service the New York City region, none of which have the name New York in their title, and one of them is in New Jersey.
The new name would be called San Francisco Bay International
Airport. But that could be confusing even though officials in Oakland
cite geographic awareness as a problem and one reason for the name change.
Officials at
SFO issued a statement saying they had "serious concerns." Airport
director Ivar Satero said in a prepared statement that SFO has used the name
"San Francisco Airport" or "San Francisco International
Airport" since 1927, and there is the "potential for customer
confusion and disservice."
If approved, the name of the airport in Oakland would change, but
the designation OAK would remain the same.
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