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American flight controllers are more and more looking for additional employment and reporting ill, as they remain on duty unpaid during the government shutdown, the transport chief has stated.

"These professionals are wearing thin," the official told a news outlet on the weekend, as some flights were grounded on the California shoreline due to personnel deficits.

Following the federal closure on 1 October, flight controllers, who are considered critical staff, were told to continue performing their jobs without pay.

But some have been absent, leading airports to halt or reduce their flight operations, which has exacerbated delays due to climate and other issues.

Over three thousand American flights were postponed on the weekend, and the secretary stated he expects the situation to deteriorate further.

"I observe the pressure," Duffy said in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had spoken to several controllers to listen to their worries directly.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I work for Uber, can I secure another source of earnings to cover expenses?'" he continued.

Duffy added that on Saturday 22 alerts at airports indicated flights would be delayed due to a lack of workers - one of the highest since the shutdown started.

The US government shutdown reached its 26th day on the weekend, making it the second most extended halt in history.

Duffy has repeatedly warned that aviation regulators would slow down the number of aircraft in the air if there is a shortage of security staff.

In his interview, he would not answer directly when asked if it was safe to travel by air in the US, and instead issued a personal plea to controllers.

"I require my controllers concentrating on the flight paths, not on the monetary matters at home," the official stated.

On Sunday, some planes were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, causing interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the country and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as other flights extending north to the city of Oakland, California.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert went out at 08:45 local time on the weekend. Many flights were operating normally by midday.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were postponed an mean of 82 minutes due to staffing shortages, and the FAA said Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airport in the country, could experience problems from low staffing in the afternoon.

The agency warned travelers in the state to check with airlines about updated flight schedules.

The issue comes ahead of the third match of the championship, which is scheduled in LA on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest times to fly in the US.

Strain on American aviation helped end a federal closure in two thousand nineteen. At the time, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and affected flight services, including aviator instruction.

It prompted a number of flight controllers to remain absent on the identical date on 25 January 2019, temporarily stopping travel at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the period was in his first term as leader, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.