San Francisco's key gateway to the world will soon carry a new badge of honor. The San Francisco Airport Commission has given the green light to a proposal to rename SFO's International Terminal after the late Senator and former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, an emblem of the city's political legacy. According San Francisco International Airport (SFO), the commission decided that Feinstein's contributions to the airport were worthy of the commemorative gesture.
It was under Feinstein's lead as the Mayor of San Francisco in the early '80s when the airport's operations were reshaped, paving the way for its first International Terminal to open its doors in 1983. Feinstein's deft handling of negotiations with the airlines struck a deal that has since poured over $1 billion back into the city's coffers, thanks to a revenue-sharing model still rare across the nation's airfields. Retired SFO Airport Director John L. Martin and former Mayor Willie Brown, representing The Dianne Feinstein 100-plus Committee, were influencing behind the scenes to score this tribute for Feinstein.
Feinstein's tenure has left an indelible mark on the airport – a push that took the airport from a mere departure and arrival point to a global transit nucleus. Her influence as Senator further solidified SFO's international significance with initiatives such as the landmark negotiation for BART's extension to the airport and advocacy for the first in-line baggage screening system, as detailed in the commission's review.
With the commission's thumbs-up to the renaming resolution, SFO brass will now team up with The Dianne Feinstein 100-plus Committee to plan the transition.
