As part of a broader effort to improve the experience of passengers, the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners voted unanimously on Thursday, April 11, 2024 for Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to change its name; and on the same day, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors endorsed the official modification of the name of the airport.
Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to Change Its Name? Not So Fast…
The new name for the airport will likely be San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, which is subject to final approval by the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Once final approval is granted, members of the staff will move forward with the formal renaming — including working with airlines, other airports, and local agencies. Both the airport code OAK and visual brand will remain unchanged.
Other improvements that are planned includes upgrading the check-in lobby and public toilet facilities at Terminal 1 — as well as providing new local concessions and restaurants.
The business community, trade partners, and travel partners that are based in Oakland, the Tri-Valley region, and Berkeley resoundingly support the change of the name of the airport.
“Every day, hundreds of travelers drive from the East Bay to SFO, passing OAK because they can’t get the flight they need. For the economic health of the region, this must change”, Danny Wan — who is the executive director of the Port of Oakland — was quoted in this official press release. “Our renaming will make travel easier for thousands of people and help grow the local economy.”
David Chui and several other attorneys for the city of San Francisco have filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court in the Northern District of California on Thursday, April 18, 2024 in opposition of the change of the name of Metropolitan Oakland International Airport by alleging infringement of the trademark of the name San Francisco International Airport. Widespread confusion among passengers, travel mishaps, and economic harm to San Francisco International Airport were also as cited as reasons for the opposition of changing the name of the airport.
Both United Airlines and the current mayor of San Francisco also oppose the name change.
“We must look out for the well-being of our communities and the economic health of the East Bay. The airport is an economic engine for our region, and the renaming will protect and create jobs”, Lena Tam — who is an elected member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors who represents District 3 — was quoted in the aforementioned press release. “It is also about the environmental well-being of our region, potentially reducing carbon footprints with less vehicle miles traveled since OAK is the closest airport to nearly 60 percent of the Bay Area’s population.”
Back in 1985, Michael Lewis inadvertently booked a ticket to New Zealand and added 12,000 miles to his journey of approximately 400 miles, as the names Auckland and Oakland sound similar — especially when Auckland is pronounced with a New Zealand accent. “Not until Tahiti was mentioned during an in-flight announcement did Lewis realize his predicament”, according to this article that was published by the Los Angeles Times back on April 2, 1985. “After a brief, unscheduled tour Auckland, Air New Zealand officials said they gave Lewis a return ticket to Los Angeles. He arrived on Tuesday afternoon and quickly boarded a plane for Oakland.”
Final Boarding Call
Poor Oakland. At least the proposed new name of its international airport is not changing to honor someone, which I vehemently oppose. Airports should not be named after people, in my opinion — especially when people such as Patrick Anthony McCarran and John Wayne are considered to be controversial…
…but an airport name should also be easy to remember. It should include the name of the geographic location which it serves. I personally prefer the name Oakland International Airport and simply drop the word Metropolitan out of the name. Easy.
If the city of Oakland wants increased recognition of where it is located, perhaps it needs to spend money on improving the city and creating its own positive reasons for becoming a destination that is more unique. It does not need to follow the example of the international airport which serves Baltimore, whose official name was Baltimore/Washington International Airport but then was changed to — get this — Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Just call it Baltimore International Airport and be done with it…
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
