Nearly 100 flights have been cancelled and another 17 delayed at Miami International Airport following a fire which first broke out last Wednesday, leaving pumps which provide fuel for aircraft inoperable.

Many aircraft are now being refuelled by manual lorry tankers, a process which is much more time-consuming than direct electric pumps. The impact these cancellations and delays are having is said to be very significant.

Miami International is the second-busiest airport in the country for international flights and the gateway to South and Central America and the fuel problem is also causing significant disruption and knock-on cancellations at several airports served by Miami in Latin America.