San Francisco
CNN
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San Francisco is suing its neighbor throughout the Bay over a plan to vary the identify of Oakland’s airport.
Earlier this month, the Port of Oakland’s commissioners voted unanimously to vary the identify of Oakland Worldwide Airport to “San Francisco Bay Oakland Worldwide Airport.”
“The suggestions we get [from airlines] … is, as a result of there’s lack of identify recognition … it’s laborious to promote tickets inbound,” stated Danny Wan, government director for the Port of Oakland. “Folks have no idea that Oakland is by the San Francisco Bay. That has been one of many Achilles’ heels of our advertising and marketing.”
The brand new identify wouldn’t change the airport’s three-letter identifier, OAK.
San Francisco filed swimsuit in federal court docket Thursday, requesting the court docket prohibit Oakland from utilizing the identify, alleging that Oakland plans to “deliberately and knowingly capitalize off of confusion.”
The Metropolis of San Francisco owns a trademark on “San Francisco Worldwide Airport,” generally referred to by its three-letter code, SFO.
SF mayor: Oakland ‘has its personal distinctive identification’
San Francisco Mayor London Breed additionally weighed in. “[Oakland] is wealthy in tradition and fantastic individuals and has its personal distinctive identification. It doesn’t want the identical San Francisco as a part of its airport to face out,” she penned in a letter to the Port of Oakland.
Wan rebuffed the concept the brand new identify would trigger confusion.
“There are numerous, many airports which have an analogous or frequent metropolis or geographic identification identify of their title… And but, airways have discovered how to try this. Airports have discovered how to try this. Passengers have discovered how to try this.”
An legal professional for the Port of Oakland, Mary Richardson, advised CNN that “San Francisco’s lawsuit is disappointing. OAK’s proposed renaming doesn’t infringe upon SFO’s mark. We’ll vigorously defend our proper to assert our spot on the San Francisco Bay. We’re standing up for Oakland and our East Bay neighborhood.”
Not less than one airline has already began utilizing the brand new identify.
Azores Airways, which flies from Oakland to Terceira Island within the Portuguese archipelago within the Atlantic, now lists OAK underneath its proposed new identify.
United Airways, which holds greater than 40% of the market at SFO, in response to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, advised CNN it opposes the proposed identify change.
A consultant for the airline stated, “The identify change might trigger confusion and inconvenience for a lot of vacationers who usually are not accustomed to the area, and result in issues reminiscent of passengers inadvertently reserving journey to the flawed airport.”
Southwest, which has an 82% market share at Oakland, stated in a information launch with the Port that it’s “wholeheartedly supportive of this rebranding that acknowledges OAK’s financial place and affect within the San Francisco Bay space whereas staying true to its Oakland roots.” Southwest didn’t reply to CNN’s request for remark.
Remaining approval for the identify change is pending a second vote from Port of Oakland’s Board of Commissioners on Could 9.