The Port of Oakland, saying most people in the country don’t know where the city is, has been exploring a name change for the Oakland International Airport.
In a statement Monday, port officials, who manage the airport and the city’s maritime port, said people’s lack of knowledge about Oakland’s location in the Bay Area has hurt the airport’s ability to attract inbound passengers.
It’s also led to a loss of flights into the city, particularly from the East Coast and Europe, and hampered the airport’s ability to attract new flights, according to port officials.
“The airport is considering many ways to overcome this problem, including a rebrand campaign that may add a geographic identifier to our name to help inbound passengers understand the airport’s proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area,” port officials said.
The port said it’s not considering removing the word “Oakland” from the name and that the airport code “OAK” would stay the same.
In addition to people’s general lack of knowledge of geography, the port’s ability to attract inbound passengers has been complicated by online travel sites like Google Flights, Kayak and Expedia, that often don’t offer Oakland International Airport as an option, according to a survey, which was sent out by the Port of Oakland about a week ago.
“By updating the name to reflect the Airports service area, the San Francisco East Bay Region, more people will be able to book travel through Oakland when searching for travel to San Francisco and the Bay Area,” one of the survey’s questions says.
It then askes people to rate that statement based on how convincing a reason it is for changing the name.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment but some social media users took to the internet to express their displeasure with a possible name change.
“Just got a text poll, with several questions asking if I’d by (sic) OK w/ changing the name of Oakland Intl. Airport to San Francisco East Bay Area Intl. Airport. (Reason given in the poll was that out-of-area travelers supposedly don’t know where Oakland is.) My Answer: HELL NO!,” Robbert Gammon posted Friday on X, the website formerly known as Twitter.
Gammon is the press secretary and policy advisor for state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Oakland, but said he posted the comment as a private citizen.
To some it seemed like salt in the fresh wounds Oakland suffered by losing the Raiders and likely the A’s to Las Vegas and the Warriors to San Francisco.
“This is outrageous. Now they want to even take Oakland’s airport. Who is even considering something so outrageous? Some really want to erase Oakland completely off the map,” posted Elmano Gonsalves.
A spokesperson for the port said the rebranding process is still ongoing, will take a year to complete and that any decision would have to be approved by the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners in public hearings.
How bout moving the airport OUT of Oakland!
People don’t wanna associate anything to Oakland.
Oakland has so much potential … the blacks are cool (have dear black bros), the Vietnamese are awesome (Ba Le), the Chinese, the Mexican food trucks … but the city leaders are morally bankrupt … sadly.
So in Oakland, all the blacks are cool and all the Vietnamese are awesome? Amazing how you are able to characterize so many people based solely on their race, ethnicity or color of their skin. Kudos.
Tomasi is a great name … old skool Italy … be proud!
If people don’t know where Oakland is… then give them a map or a book. They had a chance to be educated. Geez why make it easy for stupid people.
How’s ’bout using this abundance of energy to address real reason people don’t want to fly into OAK.
CRIME, CRIME AND CRIME.
You are right about Oakland and the crime crime crime. I work there and I witness it almost everyday. A lot of us are afraid to go to work. You ride Bart you might be shot outside the BART station . And if if you drive your car you might be carjacked right in broad daylight anywhere in the city . You’re guaranteed that broken windows on your car by burglars ! Even more frustrating is that the city council is still singing there diversity, inclusion, equity, blah blah blah tune all while ignoring the horrible state of the city! Your chance of being a victim of crime in Oakland is one im seven.! Now the worst in the nation! But it ain’t going to change soon. City leaders are fixed on their Dogma and anti-police feelings . And Especially now that Alameda County’s DA says she does want to send anybody to jail. So so free for all on the streets of Oakland. The losers are the citizens and the business owners.
‘ ‘I can’t take it any more!’ Lifelong Oakland resident packs up and leaves because she’s ‘too scared to leave the house’ – amid soaring crime and the NAACP calling for state of emergency’
dailymail https://tinyurl.com/yckhp6dy
Someone from new Hampshire, ” Hey, I have an idea, lets vacation in Oakland”
If people don’t know where Oakland is, then they definitely don’t know where the East Bay is. If they want to change the name, they should keep “Oakland” in it. San Francisco/Oakland Int’l Airport would be a better alternative. It works with Dallas/Fort Worth.
DAWG,
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I agree with you, “Oakland” should stay in the name. A name like “East San Francisco-Oakland International Airport” or “Greater San Francisco-Oakland International Airport” would work better than the suggested “San Francisco East Bay Area International Airport.” If travelers don’t know where Oakland is, then they’re likely not going to know where the “East Bay Area” is either.
San Francisco – Oakland is the original name for the Bay Area airport “SFO”.
Gotham…. Governor Grease Ball already looks like a Batman villain. now we just need some superheros to clean it up
Oakland International Airport…just a short ride to Fentanyl Island…come for a day, stay for a lifetime.
Arrive on vacation,leave on probation.
Oakland could be such a gem … but the leadership is extinct … where is Jerry … bring back JB … save Oaktown … it is in its last gasp … pray for Oakland … pray for the world … prayer works … we need more prayer.
Most of the population is walking around with a supercomputer in their hand. Hey Siri what airports are in the San Francisco Bay Area… duh. All the travel websites have airport options. Stupid government people trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist with our money, plenty of other real problems, move on to something else idiots!
“You know all those sideshows televised across the nation on the news and social media? That’s Oakland. They also have an airport.”
Changing the name won’t solve anything.
Changing the reputation will.
Don’t most airline sites post San Jose and Oakland if you select San Fran? Seem to when I look for flights. What I see when arranging travel, it more challenging to find a flight from or to Oakland between most cities, just easier to find a direct from SFO v OAK. Aside from that, what draw in Oakland is there worth the trip, not that SF is a strong draw these days?
Flying in and out of Oakland was to avoid flying in and out of San Francisco which was too busy. Living in the East Bay there were also no bridges to cross.
@CAPTAIN BEBOPS….Merle understands……..
https://youtu.be/OD8M5G8G6dQ
“The Jungle International Airport” has a nice ring.
I’d go for that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPz6aXUrKCU
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) code for Oakland is KOAK. It would be impossible to change it to FENT as FE is the country code for the Central African Republic. Just a thought, though!😎
It resembles an unstable African nation. It is also as violent there.
Howsabout naming it “The Other Airport Across The Bay From SF In Oakland”
Why to I have a feeling the new name will be MLK international Airport, or Obama…. Or Malcome X… Heck, why not name it Geraldine international airport
@WILLIS….Because “The Devil made me do it”.
I do believe Flip Wilson’s character “Miss Geraldine” had a boyfriend named “Killer”. That would be an appropriate name for an airport located in Oakland.
Nottheathleticsorraidersanymore Airport
Sorry to say but Oakland is a dead city. I’m not sure exactly why but I have some ideas. Do you?
Oakland is a disaster, but I much prefer Oakland airport to SFO which is so badly designed and thought out they have an army of parking ticket police charging any car stopped for more than a few seconds and threatening drivers just trying to pick up their friends and family. It is shockingly hostile at SFO to drivers picking people up, and don’t even get me started on the mile hikes to get from TSA to your gate at SFO.
Lol making excuses for nobody wanting to say they’re flying into Oaktown. 🤡 🌎 at its finest
When I would pick up family members at Oakland International the first thing we did was drive out of Oakland.
Doesn’t everyone have navigation on their phones? How about Wokeland, or Okilland, Breaking Bad, Garbage land, or my favorite Homielessland International Airport.
Breaking News!!!!
The Oakland Airport be moving to Las Vegas in 3 years.
I read the name would be changed to be more inclusive of the Bay Area communities. Even airport names are victims of WOKE. Only in California. SMH.
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Oakland has been in a death spiral for decades. It’s totally understandable that no one wants to be associated with the city.
Oakland is a social and physical hell hole because of historically poor leadership, low standards, excuse-making, and epically misguided policies of liberals… Harris, Brown, Dellums, Quan, Schaaf, and now Thao.
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Its nosedive into the bottom is nearly complete. The city will serve as another case study, like Detroit, of what NOT to do.
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Very Well Said Exit 12A!! 😢
Stanley Burrell International Airport, or nothing.
Savages and Sideshows International has a nice ring to it.
Herb Caen was right about Oakland. There is no there over there. (Or something like that).
To the Port of Oakland brain trust: Leave the name as is. Any change will create confusion.
There is a rumor the Oakland Airport may be moving to Las Vegas.