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| Fuel Fire At Miami |
The temporary pumps that were supposed to speed up the refueling process were not working as of noon Saturday, said airport spokesman Greg Chin.
With the airport still having to use tanker trucks to fill aircrafts, 97 flights were canceled and 17 were delayed Saturday morning, Chin said.
“Once we get the temporary system working it will go a lot faster,’’ he said.
Wednesday’s massive fire at the airport’s fuel farm has left the fuel pump operation completely unusable. Airport staff worked late into the night Friday to get a temporary pumping system working, but there was a glitch, Chin said.
“We’re hoping to get it up and running later today,’’ he said.
The temporary system would help fuel to the aircrafts much faster than using tanker truck, Chin said. Using the trucks means it takes 50 percent more time to fill aircrafts, Chin said.
By Sunday, the airport is expecting to expand the temporary system with four more pumps. The temporary pumps are being used as a stop-gap measure until a new fueling system can be installed, which could take two to four months.
Meanwhile, the investigation into what cause the fire continued.
MIA’s fuel farm holds eight million gallons of fuel, feeding 14 underground pumps that send 2,000 gallons of fuel each hour to trucks near terminals to refuel airplanes.
The system is supplied by Everglades Pipeline, which runs in a 35-mile arc west from Port Everglades through Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach, Cooper City, Pembroke Pines, Miramar and Hialeah before reaching the airport. It transmits about 55,000 barrels of jet fuel each day. Officials said the Everglades Pipeline showed no damage from the fire.
Since Thursday, American Airlines – which handles the most traffic at the airport - has been forced to cancel more than 400 flights in order to avoid major delays.
On Friday, 192 flights were canceled and on Saturday 179 flights were canceled
The cancelations come at a busy time for Miami with more than 20 events this weekend including Ultra Music Festival, a sold-out event in downtown Miami that draws electronic music fans and DJs from around the world.
Sources: http://www.miamiherald.com
