US: Airlines to buy fuel facility near airport

A group of airlines serving Mitchell International Airport plans to buy a nearby fuel storage facility in an effort to control costs and ensure steady supplies of jet fuel for their operations. The Milwaukee County Board voted 16-0 on Thursday to allow a newly formed company, MKE Fuel, to obtain a temporary loan from Mitchell International's airport discretionary fund to make the purchase. The airlines serving Mitchell pay into the fund, and the proceeds are used for things ranging from gate relocations to purchases of jetbridges — the elevated tunnels that passengers walk through to board airplanes. The need for the 120-day loan came about after Shell Oil notified the county and the airlines at Mitchell that it intends to close its fuel facility near the airport and put the facility's assets up for sale by Dec. 31. Rather than have a third party buy the facility, the airlines approached the county about forming a fuel consortium to purchase the facility. The airlines requested the loan from the discretionary fund because of the tight deadline associated with the closing and potential sale of the facility. The fuel facility is just outside the airport boundaries south of College Ave.<br/>