San Francisco is suing Oakland over its plan so as to add “San Francisco” to its airport’s name

The Board of Commissioners for the Port of Oakland met last week voted unanimously to maneuver forward with the name change and scheduled a second vote for final approval on May 9. The airport is currently called Oakland International Airport.

“We had hoped that Oakland would come to its senses, but their refusal to cooperate on an acceptable alternative name leaves us no choice but to file a lawsuit to protect SFO’s trademark,” said San City Attorney David Chiu Francisco, in a press release.

San Francisco is asking the court to dam Oakland Airport’s name change and rule that the brand new name infringes on San Francisco International Airport’s trademark.

“The renaming plan appears to be intentionally designed to distract travelers who may be unfamiliar with the Bay Area’s geography and make them believe that OAK has a business relationship with SFO, which is not the case,” Chiu said added that the renaming could be confusing for international travelers, especially travelers who don’t speak or read English.

Oakland airport officials said they plan to implement the name change and defend their right to achieve this in court.

“The proposed renaming of Oakland does not violate SFO’s brand,” the Port of Oakland said in a press release. “We will vigorously defend our right to claim our place in San Francisco Bay.”