Why fly to Oakland, California, if you’re going to San Francisco?
That may seem counterintuitive to many travelers. But those more familiar with the area know that Oakland International Airport (OAK), which sits right on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay, is less than a half-hour drive from downtown San Francisco—not to mention of just a few minutes. of the city of Oakland.
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While it may be dwarfed by San Francisco International Airport (SFO) across the bay, OAK officials believe part of the reason for that is that inbound travelers simply don’t realize where the airport is located or that it is a potentially more attractive option. for people flying to the Bay Area.
That’s why Oakland airport officials said Friday they are considering changing the airport’s name to “San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport” to better reflect the airport’s location, as part of an effort to attract more passengers and prompt airlines to add more routes.
“Market research and interviews with airline partners have shown that routes are not performing as well as they should have due to the lack of geographic awareness, making airlines reluctant to maintain and add new routes in Oakland,” said Craig, interim Port of Oakland aviation director. Simon said in a statement.
Between July 2008 and March 2024, the airport added 54 new routes, Simon said. Of these, 39 were discontinued, along with six older established routes.
Airlines will offer 46 destinations from OAK from June, according to data from aviation data company Cirium. The airport’s largest airline is Southwest Airlines by a significant margin, followed by Alaska Airlines and Spirit Airlines. It also has scheduled services from Hawaiian Airlines, Mexican carrier Volaris, Allegiant Air and Delta Air Lines.
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Still, Oakland officials said there is room to expand that road map and list of airlines, citing geographic awareness as a major barrier. Market research from the Airport Authority has shown that local travelers are keen to access more domestic and international destinations from the airport, while inbound travelers confirm they do not realize how close the airport is to San Francisco.
According to Cirium, SFO will offer commercial flights to 128 domestic and international airports from more than four dozen airlines from June this year.
Although the rebranding would change the airport’s name to add “San Francisco Bay,” the airport’s OAK code and branding would not change, officials said.
“Oakland has helped put us on the map in California and we wholeheartedly support this rebrand that recognizes OAK’s economic position and influence in the San Francisco Bay area while staying true to our Oakland roots,” said Jennifer Bridie, Southwest’s senior vice president of marketing. in a statement.
Oakland, meanwhile, is far from the first airport to try to increase its relevance by working more closely with the broader metropolitan region.
In 2006, the commercial airport in Manchester, New Hampshire, changed its name to “Manchester-Boston Regional Airport” in an effort to improve its visibility and emphasize its location approximately 60 miles from downtown Boston. Airline passenger traffic at the airport – code MHT – has come and gone since then, but has been on a general upward trend since the COVID-19 pandemic.
MHT is currently served by American Airlines, Breeze Airways, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Avelo Airlines. Spirit Airlines also operates at the airport, although it plans to suspend its only service in May. The airline said it plans to resume seasonal service next winter.
Other airports have attempted name changes for similar reasons.
Melbourne International Airport (MLB) in Florida was one of them. The airport, located on Florida’s central Atlantic coast, changed its name to ‘Orlando Melbourne International Airport’ in 2015 to capitalize on stronger brand awareness with the city 70 miles inland, home to Walt Disney World and other popular theme parks . However, officials at Orlando International Airport (MCO) were not happy with the name change, and – after years of back and forth – MLB finally agreed to change the order of the cities in the title to the current name Melbourne Orlando International. Airport.
Other US airports that take the name of distant, more recognizable city names include Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) – about 85 miles from Chicago’s Loop – and New York Stewart International Airport (SWF), located about 70 miles from Midtown Manhattan, near the city of Chicago. Newburgh, New York.
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