Oakland Airport is contemplating altering its identify, and it’s in all probability not a horrible concept…
How & why Oakland Airport might be renamed
Metropolitan Oakland Worldwide Airport (OAK) is the second main airport within the San Francisco Bay Space, after San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO). Whereas the airport is positioned in Oakland, that’s not removed from San Francisco, and as you’d anticipate, airport officers need to capitalize on that.
Alongside these strains, the Port of Oakland is contemplating modifying the identify of the airport. With this plan, “Metropolitan” can be faraway from the identify, and would get replaced by “San Francisco Bay.” In different phrases, the airport can be named San Francisco Bay Oakland Worldwide Airport. With this alteration, the airport code (OAK) and the final visible branding would stay the identical.
This plan will probably be thought-about at a gathering on April 11, 2024, so this alteration may probably be getting underway fairly rapidly. What’s the logic for this alteration? Based on the Port of Oakland:
- The Port of Oakland continuously hears from native vacationers about their need for extra direct flights to extra home and international locations
- To make this occur, vacationers who dwell exterior of the San Francisco Bay Space must be taught that OAK is positioned on the San Francisco Bay, and near regional locations
- The dearth of geographic consciousness amongst inbound vacationers signifies that flights haven’t carried out in addition to they may; round half of worldwide vacationers and round one-third of home vacationers aren’t conscious of the airport’s “wonderful location” (it’s not clear if which means they don’t know the place Oakland is, or simply that they don’t discover the placement to be “wonderful”)
- The assumption is that by including “San Francisco Bay” to the start of the identify, demand for journey to the airport will improve, and extra airways will probably be attracted
Under you’ll be able to see a video from the President of the Oakland Board of Port Commissioners, making the case for this alteration.
My tackle Oakland Airport’s potential identify change
I completely see the place Oakland Airport management is coming from right here, and it’s hardly the primary airport that has struggled with geographic consciousness amongst vacationers.
For instance, within the New York space, United Airways has Newark Airport (EWR) as its main hub, however we’ve seen the airline attempt (unsuccessfully) to develop to Kennedy Airport (JFK), as administration on the airline felt they have been shedding out on many vacationers by not flying to the airport. That’s regardless of the countless advert campaigns that the airline ran for years, emphasizing that for many vacationers, Newark is simply as handy as Kennedy.
Now, some airports have tried to take some moderately excessive liberties with their naming. For instance, in Florida you have got Melbourne Orlando Worldwide Airport (MLB), which is round 70 miles from Orlando. Clearly the airport is primarily attempting to serve that area for value aware vacationers, who’re keen to drive an extended distance to get a less expensive flight. The airport has even been sued over its identify.
Within the case of Oakland Airport, the airport isn’t unreasonably removed from San Francisco, and there are completely conditions the place somebody may moderately guide a flight to Oakland when the plan is to journey to San Francisco. So I’d put this extra in step with Newark Airport than Melbourne Airport in that regard.
Now, I do assume it might be extra correct to have the identify be “Oakland San Francisco Bay,” moderately than “San Francisco Bay Oakland.”
I’d argue the largest situation for Oakland Airport isn’t the identify, however moderately how the airport is categorized by on-line journey businesses and different flight search instruments. In the event you go to Google Flights and kind in “New York,” you’ll see flights to Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark. In the event you sort in “Miami,” you’ll see flights to Fort Lauderdale and Miami. But if you happen to sort in “San Francisco,” you’ll solely see flights to San Francisco, and never Oakland.
I’m undecided who needs to be satisfied/bribed to replace that, however it looks as if updating town search to incorporate Oakland can be the largest sport changer for the airport. That will enable individuals to extra straight evaluate flights between Oakland and San Francisco, moderately than particularly having to hunt out Oakland flights.
Backside line
Metropolitan Oakland Worldwide Airport could also be renamed San Francisco Bay Oakland Worldwide Airport, to extend consciousness of the airport’s geography. Airport executives really feel that the airport has missed out on quite a lot of visitors as a result of individuals not being conscious of the airport’s proximity to San Francisco, and the objective is to capitalize on that.
I believe what would make the largest distinction for the airport is Oakland persistently being included in a seek for San Francisco flights, simply as you’ll discover Fort Lauderdale included in a seek for Miami flights.
What do you make of Oakland Airport being renamed?
