San Francisco International Airport officials warn the proposed new name would create “confusion and inconvenience” for travelers.
“SFO has operated since 1927 and has used the name ‘San Francisco Airport’ or ‘San Francisco International Airport’ for most of its history, making it immediately recognizable to customers,” the airport said in an April 1 news release.
Travelers, especially from overseas, might become confused about the Oakland airport’s actual location or connection to the San Francisco airport, officials warn.
But Metropolitan Oakland International Airport officials argue the new name would help travelers understand its location as part of the San Francisco Bay Area.
“Market research and interviews with airline partners have shown that routes have not performed as well as they should have due to the lack of geographic awareness, making air carriers reluctant to sustain and add new routes in Oakland,” Port of Oakland Interim Director of Aviation Craig Simon said in a March 29 news release.
In a statement in the release, Southwest Airlines said it also supports the name change.
But State Sen. Scott Wiener suggested on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Oakland’s airport should stay in its lane.
“I love Oakland, but Oakland is Oakland. It’s not San Francisco,” Wiener wrote. “Oakland’s airport should not be cutting & pasting San Francisco International Airport into its name. Please find another way to turn things around.”
Port of Oakland commissioners are scheduled to consider the proposed name change April 11. The three-letter designations of both airports, SFO and OAK, would remain unchanged.
San Francisco International Airport served 47 million passengers in fiscal year 2023, while Metropolitan Oakland International Airport served 11.2 million passengers in 2023.
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