The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) expressed serious concerns over a proposed initiative to rename the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport to “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport”.
Airport Director Ivar C. Satero stated:
“We are deeply concerned about the potential for customer confusion and disservice that could result from this proposed renaming. 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. Given this history, we anticipate the new name being considered by the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport will cause confusion for the public, either through a misunderstanding of its physical location or its perceived relationship to SFO. This concern is only compounded considering SFO’s status as a major international gateway.
We request the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport not proceed with any name change that would incorporate the use of ‘San Francisco’, as this would only result in confusion and inconvenience to the traveling public we all serve.”