IN A FEW MINUTES, WE WILL HAVE
GREG FROM THE MIAMI
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
WE ARE TOLD THERE IS A LOT OF
DAMAGE THERE.
AND WE ARE WORKING TO GET HIM
ON THE PHONE.
WE DO HAVE HIM.
ARE YOU WITH US?
YES.
Reporter: WE HAVE DAMAGE AT
THE AIRPORT?
IN SOME PARTS MORE THAN
LESS, YES.
WE HAVE WALKED THE TERMINAL AND
SEEN DAMAGE IN DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE AIRPORT WITH WATER LEAKS
IN ALL THE CONCOURSES, SOME
MORE THAN OTHERS.
Reporter: IS IT ALL WATER
RELATED, LEAK RELATED?
WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE ARE YOU
SEEING, SIR?
THIS IS FROM THE SOUTH END
MORNING THE NORTH.
THIS IS WATER IMPACT.
Reporter: WILL THIS IMPACT
YOU GETTING UP AND RUNNING?
SOME.
THERE IS A LOT OF MOISTURE ON
THE GROUND WE WILL HAVE TO SUCK
UP AND VACUUM OUT.
THOSE AREAS WILL BE CORNERED
OFF.
IT WON'T STOP US FROM USING
GATES NEARBY, BUT THE GATES
FROM THE WATER DAMAGE VERY TO
CLOSE OFF.
Reporter: WE HAVE BEEN
FOLLOWING THE STORY ABOUT THE
TOURISTS IN CRUISE SHIPS WHO
ENDED UP AT MIA AT THE WORST
HOUR AS THE STORMS MOVING IN.
YOU SAID REPEATEDLY THE AIRPORT
WAS NOT A SHELTER AND YOU FOUND
ALL THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
STUCK THERE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED
AND WHERE THEY ARE NOW?
SURE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CRUISE
LINES WANTED TO GET THE PEOPLE
TO THE AIRPORT AND TRY AND GET
THEM ON FLIGHTS AND BACK HOME.
UNFORTUNATELY, MOST COULD NOT
BE REBOOKED.
SO THERE WAS DELAY ON GETTING
THEM ON FLIGHTS BUT THANKS TO
AMERICAN AIRLINES AND --
ACTUALLY, AMERICAN ADDED 21
EXTRA FLIGHTS, WE WERE ABLE TO
REBOOK THEM AND GET THEM ON
THEIR WAY ON FRIDAY.
WE FEEL FORTUNATE THAT WHAT
COULD HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF
PASSENGERS AT THE AIRPORT WOUND
UP BEING A FEW DOZEN.
Reporter: GREG, GIVE US A
TIMETABLE.
WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR TO GET
THE AIRPORT PACK UP ANYONE
RUNNING AT FULL SPEED?
WE HAVE TO DO A DAMAGE
ASSESSMENT TOMORROW WHEN
THERE'S DAME.
- - DAYLIGHT.
TOMORROW WHEN WE HAVE LIGHT, WE
WILL DO AN ASSESSMENT OF THE
TERMINAL, OUR FUEL FARM, AND
DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
FACILITY.
WE WALKED IT TO SEE THE WATER
DAMAGE AND WE WILL PREPARE TO
GET THINGS UP AND RUNNING ON A
LIMITED SCHEDULE ON TUESDAY.
WHEN YOU SAY A LIMITED
SCHEDULE, HOW MANY FLIGHT DO
YOU EXPECT TO COME IN AND OUT?
WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE
AIRLINES TO DETERMINE THAT.
IT DEPENDS ON THEM GETTING THE
AIRCRAFT BACK IN TOWN, GETTING
CREW HERE.
A LOT OF LOCAL CREW HAVE DAMAGE
TO THEIR PROPERTY AND ARE NOT
ABLE TO GET HERE.
THE AIRLINES HAVE TO FLY IN THE
CREW TO OPERATE THE FLIGHTS.
IT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE
AND AN INCREMENTAL INCREASE.
WE CAN'T GO FROM 0 TO 100%
OVERNIGHT.
A FEW FLIGHTS ONE DAY AND A FEW
MORE THE NEXT DAY AND GO FROM
THERE.
Reporter: DO YOU FIND
PEOPLE ARE UNDERSTANDING ABOUT
THIS?
I KNOW AIRPORTS CAN GET THE
BRUNT OF THE FRUSTRATION THAT
IS SOMETIMES OUT OF THEIR
HANDS.
WE THINK ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED, THINGS WENT VERY
SMOOTHLY.
AS YOU DISCUSSED, THERE WERE A
NUMBER OF CRUISE PASSENGERS
HERE WE THOUGHT WOULD BE SPHUK
-- STUCK IN THE AIRPORT OVER
THE WEEKEND.
AND THEY GOT THROUGH MIAMI AND
DALLAS AND CONNECTED THROUGH
THERE.
THEY ARE HAPPY, AND WE KNOW
THERE ARE PEOPLE IN TOWN WHO
WANT TO REBOOK AND GET ON
FLIGHTS.
THEY ARE MAYBE IN LOCAL HOTELS
AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO THEY HAVE TO BE MORE
PATIENT.
BUT ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, THEY
ARE HAPPY.
YOU HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH OR
THE AIRPORT WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT?
WAS THERE A REQUEST TO USE
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO
BRING IN THE SUPPLIES OR
EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO BEGIN OF
CLEAN UP HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA?
EVEN INTO THE KEYS?
IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
INVOLVED IN ALL OF THAT?
IS THERE ANY COMMUNICATION WITH
THE FAA?
THAT WAS PRELIMINARY AND
BASED ON THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
TOMORROW AND THE CAPABILITY TO
HANDLE THE FLIGHTS WHICH WE
THINK WE CAN DO SOON, WE'LL
WORK WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND TALK ABOUT
HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS AND THINGS
TO DO HERE AND THE SUPPORT.
Reporter: WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE
WHO HAD TICKETS ANDS TO
RESCHEDULE OR THEY ARE
WONDERING WHEN THEY CAN GET --
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO ASSESS
THEIR SITUATIONS AND TIMELINE?
EXACTLY, AND THEY DO WANT
NOT WANT TO CONVERGE HERE.
THEY WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE
WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE.
MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE
AIRLINES BEFORE COMING TO THE
AIRPORT.
IT WILL BE BETTER THAT WAY.
Reporter: YOU CAN TALK
ABOUT THE PREPARATIONS WITH A
POTENTIAL HURRICANE MOVING IN
AND I KNOW YOU HAD PEOPLE ON
FLIGHTS AND GETTING OUT BUT THE
EMPLOYEE, STAFFING,
ELECTRICITY, ALL OF THAT, HOW
DID THAT GO?
WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF
THE EMHIGHWAYEES AND A TEAM
EFFORT OF MANY PEOPLE LEAVING
THEIR FAMILIES AND WE HAD
DUNKIN DOUGHNUTS GIVING THEM
FREE COFFEE AND DOUGHNUTS, 300
EMPLOYEES TALKING ABOUT
CLEANING CREWS, CONCESSIONS,
AIRLINES, CPD, DOING THE
NECESSARY PREPS TO GET READY TO
OPEN UP AGAIN.
WE WERE VERY PROUD.
Reporter: GREG CHIN,
SPOKESMAN FOR THE MIAMI
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
THEY ARE LOOKING TO GET BACK UP
AND RUNNING SLOWLY AT FIRST,