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American flight controllers are increasingly seeking second jobs and reporting ill, as they continue to work without pay amid the government shutdown, the transport chief has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official told Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were halted on the Californian coast due to staffing shortages.

Following the government shut down on October 1st, flight controllers, who are considered essential workers, were told to continue performing their duties without pay.

But a number have been missing, causing terminals to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to delays caused by weather and other issues.

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

"I observe the stress," he remarked in an interview on a weekend program, adding that he had met with several controllers to listen to their concerns firsthand.

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

The secretary further mentioned that on the previous day 22 alerts at airports indicated travel would be held up due to a shortage of workers - one of the highest after the shutdown started.

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

Duffy has repeatedly warned that flight authorities would reduce the quantity of aircraft in the sky if there is a shortage of security staff.

In his conversation, he declined to respond straightforwardly when asked if it was safe to travel by air in the United States, and instead issued a personal plea to controllers.

"I require my controllers focused on the airspace, not on the finances at their households," Duffy stated.

On Sunday, some planes were grounded at LAX due to employee deficits, causing interruption at the fifth most active terminal in the nation and one of the busiest in the world, as well as other flights extending north to the metropolis of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice was issued at 08:45 in the morning on the weekend. Numerous trips were operating normally before noon.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were delayed an mean of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the authority indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airfield in the country, could encounter problems from low staffing in the afternoon.

The agency advised travelers in California to check with airlines about revised flight schedules.

The situation precedes the third match of the championship, which is scheduled in LA on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak periods to fly in the United States.

Strain on American aviation helped end a government shutdown in 2019. Back then, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

It prompted several flight controllers to stay home on the same day on 25 January 2019, briefly halting travel at New York's LaGuardia airport.

On that date, the former president, who at the period was in his first term as leader, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the government shutdown after thirty-five days.