Airport commission approves renaming SFO International Terminal for Sen. Dianne Feinstein
SAN FRANCISCO INT'L AIRPORT – The International Terminal at San Francisco International Airport will be renamed after the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, following a decision by airport commissioners Tuesday.
Airport officials said the decision follows a nomination submitted in November by members of The Dianne Feinstein 100-plus Committee, chaired by former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and includes former SFO Airport Director John L. Martin.
"From the Master Plan expansion of the new International Terminal to the BART-SFO extension and new Air Traffic Control Tower, Senator Feinstein played a leadership role in making the Airport the world-class facility it is today," the airport said.
In its statement, the commission noted several decisions by Feinstein contributing to the airport's success. As mayor, Feinstein led the negotiation of a 30-year lease and use agreement with airlines, transforming the airport's business operation and provided for the construction of the International Terminal.
Airport officials also noted Feinstein's role in helping bring BART directly to the International Terminal, helping the airport access new FAA technology, along with providing resources following the Asiana Airlines crash in 2013.
A trailblazer for women in politics over a career that stretched more than five decades, Feinstein was first elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969. She became Mayor of San Francisco following the 1978 assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
Feinstein was first elected to the United States Senate in 1992, becoming the longest-serving woman in the history of the Senate. She died in September at the age of 90.
Airport officials said Tuesday that they will begin work with the committee to implement the renaming, which would include "collaboration on locations, design and content to celebrate the legacy of Senator Feinstein relative to both SFO and the City of San Francisco."
A timeline for the renaming has not been announced.