People outside the Bay Area may not know that Oakland is just across the bridge from San Francisco. Or at least, that’s one explanation Port of Oakland officials have come up with for why so few people fly into Oakland International.
This year, the airport experienced its first year-over-year decrease in deplaning passengers since 2020. The number of incoming travelers decreased by six percent between last June and this June.
Marilyn Sandifur, a spokesperson for the Port of Oakland, said the airport has lost routes in recent years, and hopes to regain them.
It may seek to do this by adopting a name that emphasizes Oakland’s proximity to San Francisco. Sandifur clarified that the airport’s code — OAK — will remain unchanged, and that any new name will still include the word “Oakland.”
Some Oakland residents received a poll via text message asking how comfortable they would be with the airport’s name changing to the San Francisco East Bay Area International Airport. Several people took to X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts, which are overwhelmingly against the rebrand.
Port officials predict the renaming process will take about a year. Port Commissioners will have to approve any decision in public hearings.
