Miami Airport looks to reopen with limited service
Miami International Airport hoped to reopen for limited passenger service Tuesday after Hurricane Irma forced a dayslong closure and damaged parts of the terminals and gates.
The high winds pushed water through window seals and through roof joints, causing minor flooding through the sprawling complex. Even the war room where airport managers met Monday morning was damaged by water.
The storm also knocked out portions of the airport’s security fence and damaged some gate areas and awnings, airport CEO Emilio Gonzalez said.
He said the gradual reopening would allow airport staff, airline workers and security screeners time to return to their posts after the mandatory evacuation. Airlines will decide for themselves how to restart their operations once the airport declares itself ready.
On Monday, airport officials didn’t know which airlines would begin flying first. “Nobody wants to get planes in and out more than me,” Gonzalez said. “But we can’t just flip a switch.”
Airport managers urged passengers to check with their airline before heading to the airport, in case of any hiccups or unforeseen delays.
The FAA must certify that the airport meets security standards. That may mean airport workers would have to stand guard over any fence breaches or areas that should have been patrolled but weren’t during the storm.
Monday afternoon, the airport remained almost entirely empty except for a few hundred staff, as well as customers who had nowhere else to go.
Many stranded travelers de- clined to be interviewed or photographed, citing their lack of showers. Their legs covered by a blanket, Jennie Langtofl, 25, and Simone Hoeier, 24, watched a movie on an iPad and waited for their flight — which might leave Tuesday.
The two Denmark residents have been vacationing in the USA for three weeks and were supposed to fly out Saturday, when the storm’s intensity peaked.
They checked into a hotel but were forced to leave for a shelter. Said Hoeier, “It wasn’t fun being kicked out, but since then everyone has been very nice.”