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American flight controllers are increasingly seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty without pay during the federal closure, the transport chief has stated.

"These professionals are wearing thin," Sean Duffy informed Fox News on the weekend, as some flights were halted on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

After the government shut down on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are deemed essential workers, were instructed to keep doing their jobs uncompensated.

But a number have been missing, causing airports to stop or slow their plane traffic, which has added to delays caused by climate and other issues.

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

"I observe the pressure," he remarked in an interview on a weekend program, adding that he had spoken to multiple professionals to hear their concerns firsthand.

"They are pursuing second jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I drive Uber, can I find another source of income to make ends meet?'" he continued.

The secretary further mentioned that on Saturday 22 alerts at airports said travel would be delayed due to a lack of employees - one of the highest since the shutdown started.

The American federal closure reached its 26th day on the weekend, rendering it the second most extended shutdown in history.

Duffy has consistently cautioned that aviation regulators would reduce the quantity of aircraft in the air if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his interview, he would not answer directly when asked if it was secure to fly in the US, and instead issued a direct appeal to controllers.

"I need my controllers focused on the airspace, not on the monetary matters at their households," the official said.

On Sunday, some planes were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, leading to interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the nation and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as other flights stretching north to the city of Oakland.

The FAA alert went out at 08:45 local time on Sunday. Many flights were operating normally before noon.

Travel at Newark Airport, though, were delayed an average of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the authority indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airport in the country, could encounter difficulties from low staffing later in the day.

The agency advised passengers in California to consult carriers about updated departure times.

The issue comes ahead of the third match of the championship, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday night, and about one month before the Thanksgiving break, among the peak times to fly in the United States.

Strain on American aviation helped end a federal closure in two thousand nineteen. At the time, the halt had entered its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including pilot training.

It prompted several flight controllers to remain absent on the identical date on January 25, 2019, briefly halting travel at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, Donald Trump, who at the period was in his first term as leader, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the federal closure after 35 days.