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American flight controllers are more and more looking for second jobs and calling in sick, as they continue to work without pay amid the federal closure, the transportation secretary has announced.

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

Following the federal closure on October 1st, flight controllers, who are considered critical staff, were told to continue performing their jobs uncompensated.

But a number have been absent, causing airports to stop or slow their plane traffic, which has exacerbated delays due to weather and additional factors.

More than three thousand US flights were postponed on the weekend, and Duffy stated he anticipates the circumstances to grow worse.

"I observe the pressure," he said in an interview on a weekend program, noting that he had spoken to several controllers to hear their worries directly.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I drive Uber, can I secure another source of income to cover expenses?'" he continued.

Duffy further mentioned that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airports indicated travel would be delayed due to a shortage of workers - among the peak after the closure started.

The US government shutdown reached its twenty-sixth day on the weekend, making it the second-longest halt in the past.

He has repeatedly warned that flight authorities would slow down the number of aircraft in the air if there is a deficit of security staff.

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

"I require my controllers concentrating on the airspace, not on the monetary matters at their households," Duffy said.

On Sunday, certain flights were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, leading to disruption at the fifth most active terminal in the nation and among the most crowded in the globe, as well as other flights extending upward to the metropolis of Oakland.

The FAA alert was issued at 8:45 AM local time on the weekend. Numerous trips were operating normally by midday.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were postponed an mean of over an hour due to personnel issues, and the FAA indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second-busiest airport in the country, could encounter problems from reduced staff in the afternoon.

The FAA warned travelers in the state to check with airlines about revised flight schedules.

The issue precedes Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday night, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest times to travel by air in the United States.

Strain on US air travel contributed to ending a government shutdown in two thousand nineteen. Back then, the shutdown had entered its fifth week and affected airline operations, including pilot training.

It led a number of air traffic controllers to stay home on the identical date on January 25, 2019, briefly halting movement at New York's LaGuardia airport.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the period was in his first term as president, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.