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American flight controllers are increasingly looking for second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty without pay amid the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has stated.

"These professionals are wearing thin," the official told a news outlet on Sunday, as certain aircraft were halted on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

After the government shut down on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were told to keep doing their duties uncompensated.

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

More than three thousand American flights were delayed on the weekend, and Duffy stated he expects the circumstances to deteriorate further.

"I observe the pressure," he remarked in an interview on a weekend program, adding that he had spoken to several controllers to listen to their worries firsthand.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I drive Uber, am I able to secure an alternative of earnings to make ends meet?'" he continued.

The secretary further mentioned that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airfields indicated travel would be delayed due to a shortage of workers - one of the highest after the shutdown began.

The US government shutdown entered its twenty-sixth day on Sunday, making it the second-longest shutdown in the past.

He has repeatedly warned that flight authorities 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 secure to fly in the US, and instead made a personal plea to the professionals.

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

On that day, certain flights were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, leading to interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the nation and among the most crowded in the world, as well as other flights extending north to the metropolis of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert was issued at 08:45 in the morning on Sunday. Numerous trips were operating normally by midday.

Travel at Newark Airport, however, were postponed an mean of over an hour due to personnel issues, and the FAA indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airfield in the country, could experience difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

The agency advised passengers in the state to check with carriers about updated departure times.

The issue precedes the third match of the championship, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving break, among the peak periods to fly in the United States.

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

It led several air traffic controllers to remain absent on the same day on 25 January 2019, briefly halting movement at New York's LaGuardia airport.

That same day, the former president, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the government shutdown after 35 days.