🔗 Share this article

US air traffic controllers are more and more seeking additional employment and calling in sick, as they remain on duty without pay amid the government shutdown, the transport chief has stated.

"These professionals are becoming strained," the official informed a news outlet on the weekend, as certain aircraft were halted on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

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

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

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

"I observe the pressure," Duffy remarked in an discussion on a weekend program, adding that he had met with multiple professionals to hear their concerns firsthand.

"They are pursuing second jobs, they're out there looking, 'Should I work for Uber, can I secure an alternative of income to make ends meet?'" he continued.

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

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

He has consistently cautioned that aviation regulators would slow down the number of aircraft in the sky if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his interview, he would not answer directly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the United States, and instead made a personal plea to controllers.

"I need my controllers focused on the flight paths, not on the finances at home," the official said.

On Sunday, some planes were stopped at LAX due to staffing shortages, leading to interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the nation and among the most crowded in the globe, as well as additional travel stretching north to the city of Oakland, California.

The FAA alert went out at 08:45 local time on Sunday. Many flights were operating normally by midday.

Flights at Newark Airport, however, were postponed an average of over an hour due to personnel issues, and the authority said Dallas Fort-Worth, the second-busiest airfield in the country, could experience difficulties from low staffing in the afternoon.

The FAA advised travelers in the state to check with carriers about revised departure times.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is due to be played in LA on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest times to fly in the United States.

Strain on US air travel contributed to ending a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the halt had entered its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

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

That same day, Donald Trump, who at the period was in his initial presidency as president, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.