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More Flights Canceled At MIA Due To Fuel Supply

MIAMI (CBS4) - If you've got a flight out of Miami International Airport, or if you were expecting a friend in from town, you may want to call ahead.

Airport spokesman Greg Chin said, as of 8 p.m.  84 flights were cancelled, 69 experienced delays, on Monday due to last week's fire at the fuel farm which destroyed the pump system which delivered fuel to the airport. A preliminary investigation into the cause found that the fire may have been sparked by a short-circuit at one of the pumps.

Click Here To See The Fire

"Thankfully, our underground pipe system from the fuel farm to the airfield was not affected. This will allow a phasing process that will help MIA to provide near to normal operations by next week," said Chin.

This week airport workers plan to install four high performance pumps that are already on site.  Once up and running, they should put the system back to full capacity.

The fuel comes to the airport via the 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.

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