Full disclosure: Until my husband and I began travel blogging 8 1/2 years ago, I had no idea that “changing the name of an airport” happened so frequently. But over the past few years, we’ve seen attempts (some successfully, some not) to change the names of:
- Key West Int’l Airport to honor Jimmy Buffett
- Nashville Int’l Airport to honor Donald Trump and Dolly Parton
- Greater Rochester International Airport to honor Frederick Douglass
- McCarran Int’l Airport to honor Harry Reid
- San Antonio International Airport to honor Gregg Popovich
- Boston Logan Int’l Airport to honor Bill Russell
There have also been other “interesting” name changes, such as:
- The group that suggested changing the name of Glasgow Prestwick Airport as a way to troll Donald Trump
- El Dorado International Airport, which periodically changes its name as part of a breast cancer awareness campaign
- The airport that changed names due to a lawsuit
And that’s all I can think of off the top of my head!
However, we can add two more airports with upcoming name changes, as local airport authorities have either just voted or are scheduled to vote on renaming two different airports.
OAK
Oh, OAK, OAK, OAK. This will be the second name change for OAK in as many years. And if you think it sounds similar to the history of MLB’s various name changes, you would be correct.
For almost a century, OAK was known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport. However, in the spring of 2024, the airport announced that it would be changing its official name to San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. Their reasoning was:
- Many travelers didn’t understand that the City of Oakland was part of the Bay Area
- Some travelers were confused because Oakland (in California and Auckland (in New Zealand)
But the big shots in San Francisco, who owned and ran San Francisco Int’l Airport, didn’t like the new name and filed a federal trademark lawsuit against Oakland. Oakland countersued.
But now Oakland has decided to change their name again, switching it from San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport to Oakland San Francisco International Airport.
“This renaming is part of a dynamic effort to increase air travel and boost economic activity within Oakland and the region and generate critical revenue and visitor spending dollars for the local economy,” the Port said in a press release.
“We are proud to be a central gateway to the Bay Area, and we’re proud to embrace a name that reflects both our local roots and regional reach,” said Craig Simon, director of aviation at the Port of Oakland. “‘Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport’ does both, putting Oakland first and highlighting our central location in the Bay Area for all visitors.”
The Port of Oakland plans to adopt the new name at its July 10th meeting.
MEM
Meanwhile, Memphis International Airport has also announced a name change.
At the start of its June 26 monthly meeting, the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to begin the process of renaming Memphis International Airport after Federal Express founder Fred Smith.
Smith passed away on June 20th, at the age of 80.
“I will say that I’ve had the opportunity to discuss (renaming the airport) with our governor (Bill Lee), legislative leaders and members of all of the Congressional delegation, and they all are very supportive of this action,” said Board Chairman Michael Keeney.
FedEx is also onboard (pun intended), as per a statement sent to The Commercial Appeal on June 27th.
“We fully support the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority’s resolution seeking to rename the Memphis International Airport in honor of our founder Frederick W. Smith,” FedEx said. “It would be a fitting tribute to the man who launched a company that revolutionized the airport, the city of Memphis, and the way the world works. We support the advancement of this resolution for full approval and look forward to operating out of a location that bears his name.”
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