Confused travelers have shown up at the wrong place since Oakland airport changed its name to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport, a new court filing claims.
Now San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu is trying to stop Oakland from using the new name by filing a motion for a preliminary injunction in an ongoing lawsuit over the rebranding. The motion was filed Tuesday.
Chiu’s lawsuit against Oakland claims the new name infringes on the San Francisco International Airport’s trademark and has confused passengers since its rollout in May.
Passengers unfamiliar with the Bay Area have been directed to the wrong airport by digital assistants and rideshare services, according to Chiu’s motion. They’ve also booked flights to SFO when they intended to arrive in Oakland and geotagged the wrong airport in social media posts.
“San Francisco has invested millions in making San Francisco International Airport the world-class airport it is today,” Chiu said in a news release issued Tuesday morning. “We have built an incredible brand that we must protect. Oakland has a trademark for Oakland International Airport. It should use that and stay away from San Francisco’s brand.”
In addition to stopping Oakland from using the new name, Chiu’s motion seeks to require the city to destroy or transfer all physical and digital materials containing the new name and charge it damages and fees.
The Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners approved the airport’s new name April 11, prompting immediate criticism from San Francisco officials. One week later, Chiu’s office filed its lawsuit.
Shortly before the name change was approved, Standard readers chimed in online with joke names prodding at some of the city’s issues with crime and fleeing professional sports franchises, including zingers like “Smash N Grab International” and “The Athletics-Raiders-Warriors Departure Field.”
The city attorney’s office claims Oakland’s apparent intention in renaming its airport was to “capitalize” on SFO’s trademark and lead people to believe OAK has a business relationship or affiliation with SFO, which it does not, according to the lawsuit.
San Francisco has held the federal trademark for San Francisco International Airport since 1954, according to the city attorney’s office.
Oakland officials have not yet responded to requests for comment on the latest legal action.