SF offers to collaborate with Oakland on airport name, slams survey related to name change
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco officials have extended an offer to collaborate with Oakland on a proposed airport name change and have slammed a survey related to the change as disingenuous. A news release from San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu on Wednesday offers Port of Oakland officials the chance of working with SF city officials to come up with a new airport name, or alternately, face litigation.
Last month, Port of Oakland Officials agreed to move forward with a name change that would see Oakland airport incorporate “San Francisco” into its name. Under the proposed name change, the East Bay airport’s name would shift from “Oakland International Airport” to “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.”
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Chiu’s office stated that he sent a letter to port officials Tuesday, two days ahead of a scheduled vote on a final reading of the renaming proposal set for a public meeting Thursday. The letter, according to Chiu’s office, urges the port to “reconsider plans to rename Oakland International Airport (OAK) that infringe on San Francisco International Airport’s (SFO) trademark.”
The city attorney office also raised concerns about a survey the Port of Oakland commissioned related to the name change. According to a review cited by Chiu’s office, the survey “was riddled with leading questions devised to get respondents to select a preferred answer.”
“The survey used leading language implying that an OAK name change will result in positive benefits such as increased flights or broader economic benefits to Oakland,” Chiu’s office stated. “These positive benefits are entirely hypothetical, but also this survey design encourages respondents to say they are comfortable with the name change, inflating the level of support.”
Chiu, along with other SF and SF Airport officials, have expressed concern that the name change will result in confusion for travelers and infringes on SFO’s registered trademark “San Francisco International Airport.”
San Francisco filed a lawsuit last month to prevent infringement on SFO’s name and trademark.
“The letter sent by City Attorney Chiu this week represents yet another offer for both cities to come together to avoid a lawsuit,” Chiu’s office stated.
KRON4 reached out to the Port of Oakland for comment and received the following statement:
“We have received the follow-up correspondence from San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. This will be shared with our Port Commission prior to tomorrow’s Board meeting. As the City Attorney has prematurely filed his suit prior to the Board’s final consideration of the proposed new airport name, we will not be commenting on the merits of his claims and will respond at the appropriate time.”
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