The naming controversy underway between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and what is now being called the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK) escalated further this week when OAK owner The Port of Oakland filed its opposition papers responding to the City and County of San Francisco’s motion for preliminary injunction.
OAK’s new name – adding “San Francisco Bay” ahead of the longstanding “Oakland International Airport” – has officially been in use since it was unanimously approved by the Board of Port Commissioners on May 9.
In September, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed a preliminary injunction asking the judge to order the Port of Oakland to stop using the new name. The injunction claimed the Port had infringed on the trademark for San Francisco International Airport.
In a press release issued September 17, Chiu said that the city also filed the preliminary injunction to “prevent further traveler confusion and mishaps that have occurred.” He also noted that the city “tried to reason with Oakland officials” to come up with alternative names but those efforts were unsuccessful. At the same time, SFO airport director Ivar Satero said the airport had “observed multiple incidents of customer confusion resulting from Oakland Airport’s rebranding.”
In its response, the Port of Oakland said “SFO ignores the realities of this commercial marketplace and instead relies on inadequate evidence,” citing unauthenticated online social media posts, a “flawed” consumer survey and other claims of passenger confusion.
The Port’s response also included declarations from both Southwest Airlines – which operates out of both OAK and SFO – and Spirit Airlines that describe how their customers search for and book flights. “The Southwest and Spirit declarations bolster the Port’s common-sense view of how airline passengers make purchasing decisions in a commercial marketplace that is actually devoid of confusion,” the Port of Oakland said. The Port also noted that OAK is, in fact, located on the shores of the San Francisco Bay.
The court is scheduled to consider OAK’s and SFO’s arguments on the preliminary injunction motion on November 7, 2024.
