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American flight controllers are increasingly looking for second jobs and calling in sick, as they continue to work unpaid amid the federal closure, the transportation secretary has announced.

"The controllers are becoming strained," Sean Duffy informed Fox News on Sunday, as certain aircraft were halted on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

Following the federal closure on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are deemed essential workers, were told to keep doing their duties uncompensated.

But a number have been absent, leading airports to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to delays caused by climate and other issues.

More than three thousand American flights were postponed on the weekend, and the secretary said he anticipates the situation to deteriorate further.

"I am seeing the stress," he said in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, noting that he had spoken to several controllers to listen to their concerns directly.

"They are pursuing side jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I work for Uber, can I secure an alternative of income to cover expenses?'" he added.

Duffy further mentioned that on Saturday twenty-two notifications at airports indicated flights would be held up due to a shortage of workers - among the peak since the shutdown began.

The American federal closure entered its twenty-sixth day on the weekend, rendering it the second most extended halt in the past.

Duffy has consistently cautioned that flight authorities would reduce the quantity of aircraft in the air if there is a deficit of security staff.

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

"I require my staff concentrating on the flight paths, not on the finances at home," the official said.

On Sunday, certain flights were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, leading to interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the country and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as additional travel extending north to the city of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice went out at 8:45 AM in the morning on Sunday. Numerous trips were back on schedule by midday.

Flights at Newark Airport, though, were delayed an average of 82 minutes due to staffing shortages, and the authority said DFW, the second most active airport in the US, could encounter problems from reduced staff later in the day.

The agency advised travelers in the state to consult carriers about revised flight schedules.

The situation precedes the third match of the World Series, which is due to be played in LA on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest times to fly in the US.

Pressure on US air travel helped end a government shutdown in 2019. Back then, the halt had entered its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including pilot training.

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

That same day, the former president, who at the period was in his first term as president, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the government shutdown after 35 days.