Port Of Oakland Finalizes Airport Name Change For The 2nd Time

NBC Bay Area is reporting that Oakland International Airport has finalized a name change for the second time over the past year. The airport will now be known as “Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport” in an attempt to gain name recognition and entice more passengers to choose Oakland over another airport. This comes after Oakland previously attempted to use the name “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport” and was blocked by the city of San Francisco.

Oakland International Airport is one of three primary airports serving the Bay Area in Northern California. Its competitors are San Francisco International Airport and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, which, in recent years, has overtaken Oakland in total passenger numbers to become the second-busiest airport in the region. All three airports serve distinct sections of the Bay Area, but Oakland is looking to grow by capturing traffic to other parts of the Bay Area, notably with this name change.

What Will Happen Next For The Name Change

On Thursday, July 24, officials in the Port of Oakland approved the name change. This came after two rounds of voting and over $150,000 spent by the Port of Oakland to promote the first name change. From here, the FAA will need to update its systems to reflect the new name, while the Port of Oakland will need to notify IATA of the name change, allowing GDS providers Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport to update their systems.

The City of San Francisco intends to pursue its ongoing case in court. The city argues that the prior name changes infringed on copyrights held by San Francisco International Airport, and that passengers will confuse the two airports. While the name will be changed, Oakland’s IATA and OCAO designations will remain “OAK” and “KOAK.”

When speaking with NBC News Bay Area, the director of aviation at the Port of Oakland, Craig Simon, stated:

“We are proud to be a central gateway to the Bay Area, and we’re proud to embrace a name that reflects both our local roots and regional reach.”

Why Change The Name?

Oakland first attempted a name change in 2024. When Oakland initially began to switch to using “San Francisco Bay Oakland Airport,” the City of San Francisco filed a lawsuit to block the name change. Oakland countersued and proceeded with the name update, but was ordered by a judge to stop using the name. Oakland appealed the decision, and the case is currently pending.

The reason why Oakland is changing its name is to increase name recognition and brand awareness. While the San Francisco Bay Area is one of the most popular destinations in the country, Oakland itself is less known. By associating itself with the larger Bay Area, Oakland hopes that passengers will be more likely to choose it instead of San Francisco International Airport.

Of course, the initial proposal ended up being extremely similar to San Francisco International Airport, resulting in a highly publicized lawsuit. However, this may have benefitted Oakland even more, as news of the court battle increased awareness of the airport even more. Oakland is ultimately the third busiest airport in the region, so any publicity that increases brand recognition is beneficial.

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Air Service At Oakland International Airport

Several airlines cut routes or pulled out entirely from Oakland towards the end of the 2010s. This was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the airport has seen noticeable growth during the past few years. This notably includes new flights to El Salvador, as well as significant increases in service to Mexico.

Oakland International Airport is located opposite San Francisco International Airport. While Oakland is a separate city, it is part of the larger San Francisco Bay Metropolitan Area. However, Oakland is further away from downtown San Francisco than its larger rival, and it features fewer transit links.

Oakland is dominated by Southwest Airlines, where the carrier holds over 80% market share as per the Department of Transportation. The busiest route from Oakland is to Las Vegas, while the airport also notably has flights to Hawaii, Mexico, and El Salvador.