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US air traffic controllers are more and more seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they continue to work unpaid during the federal closure, the transportation secretary has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official told a news outlet on the weekend, as certain aircraft were grounded on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

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

But some have been missing, leading terminals to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to delays caused by climate and additional factors.

Over 3,000 American flights were delayed on the weekend, and Duffy stated he expects the situation to deteriorate further.

"I am seeing the stress," Duffy remarked in an discussion on a weekend program, noting that he had met with multiple professionals to listen to their concerns firsthand.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I work for Uber, am I able to secure an alternative of earnings to cover expenses?'" he continued.

Duffy added that on the previous day 22 alerts at airfields indicated flights would be held up due to a shortage of workers - among the peak after the closure started.

The US government shutdown entered its 26th day on the weekend, making it the second-longest shutdown in history.

Duffy has consistently cautioned that flight authorities would slow down the quantity of aircraft in the sky if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his interview, he declined to respond directly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the US, and instead made a personal plea to the professionals.

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

On that day, some planes were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, leading to interruption at the fifth-busiest airport in the nation and among the most crowded in the world, as well as other flights stretching north to the metropolis of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert went out at 8:45 AM in the morning on the weekend. Numerous trips were operating normally before noon.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were delayed an mean of over an hour due to personnel issues, and the FAA said DFW, the second most active airport in the US, could encounter problems from reduced staff in the afternoon.

The FAA advised travelers in the state to consult carriers about updated flight schedules.

The issue precedes Game 3 of the World Series, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday night, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest times to fly in the US.

Pressure on American aviation contributed to ending a government shutdown in two thousand nineteen. Back then, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

It led a number of flight controllers to stay home on the same day on 25 January 2019, temporarily stopping travel at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, Donald Trump, who at the time was in his first term as president, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.