OAKLAND, California — The war of the names between two of the region’s three major airports has widened now that San Francisco has asked a federal court to block Oakland from using the new name for the East Bay airport.

San Francisco has asked a federal court to block Oakland from continuing to use the new name of the East Bay aviation hub, according to documents on file with the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.

San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport is the new name for the East Bay air travel hub, a move that quickly sparked San Francisco’s ire even before the Port of Oakland approved the name change in May.

Oakland’s decision to broaden the name of its airport has unleashed a war of names that features a lawsuit by San Francisco against Oakland and a countersuit by Oakland against San Francisco.

San Francisco is seeking a preliminary injunction to bar Oakland from continuing to use the new name while the court actions trudge forward.

“We are already seeing traveler confusion around the use of Oakland’s new name,” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said.

Oakland Airport has retained its International Air Transport Association code OAK, despite the name change.

““The convenience and ease of traveling through OAK won’t change with our name,” Oakland’s Interim Director of Aviation Craig Simon said in May. “OAK is the closest major airport to 58 percent of the Bay Area population. This designation will let the world know who we serve.”

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