SFO and Oakland airport battle has settled
Travelers walk towards Terminal 2 at Oakland International Airport on April 12, 2024 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, Calif. - The two-year legal battle between the airports in San Francisco and Oakland has settled.
Oakland San Francisco Bay International Airport
What we know:
The San Francisco city attorney's office made the announcement on Tuesday.
The Port of Oakland will continue to use "Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport" to refer to its airport and will retain its current International Air Transport Association code, OAK.
Meanwhile, the Port of Oakland – the operator of the airport – must not use the terms: "San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport," "Oakland San Francisco International Bay Airport," or the "Oakland San Francisco Bay International Airport."
And in online advertising, the Port of Oakland may not buy — and must expressly exclude — keywords such as "San Francisco Airport," "SF Airport," and "San Francisco International Airport."
Trademark claims
The backstory:
Oakland airport ordered to stop using new name
A federal court has temporarily blocked Oakland Airport from using its new name, San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport.
In 2024, San Francisco sued the Port of Oakland, which first wanted to rename Oakland International Airport to "San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport," alleging that name infringed on the San Francisco International Airport trademark.
The Port of Oakland had wanted to change the name, arguing it would attract more nonstop destinations by boosting travelers' geographic awareness of the airport’s location on the San Francisco Bay.
After San Francisco's suit, Oakland changed its name again, this time putting the word "Oakland first."
San Francisco still didn't like the amended name – the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport – but Oakland argued that no one owns the words "San Francisco Bay."
In November 2024, a federal district court judge issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Port of Oakland from using that name, and Oakland appealed that order to the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
The Port of Oakland later renamed the airport a second time to "Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport," its current name approved under the settlement.
This settlement before Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson resolves San Francisco’s lawsuit, Oakland’s counterclaim, and Oakland’s appeal of the preliminary injunction.
In a statement, SFO Airport Director Mike Nakornkhet said he was "grateful" to have reached a resolution, which he said "provides clarity for travelers to make informed decisions about travel through our respective airports."
KTVU on Tuesday reached out to the Port of Oakland for a comment but didn't immediately hear back.