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American flight controllers are more and more looking for second jobs and reporting ill, as they remain on duty unpaid amid the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official informed Fox News on the weekend, as certain aircraft were grounded on the California shoreline due to personnel deficits.

After the government shut down on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are deemed essential workers, were told to continue performing their duties uncompensated.

But some have been absent, leading airports to stop or slow their flight operations, which has exacerbated delays caused by weather and other issues.

Over 3,000 American flights were postponed on the weekend, and the secretary stated he expects the situation to grow worse.

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

"They are pursuing second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I work for Uber, am I able to secure an alternative of earnings to cover expenses?'" he continued.

The secretary added that on Saturday 22 alerts at airports indicated travel would be delayed due to a lack of employees - one of the highest since the closure began.

The US government shutdown entered its twenty-sixth day on the weekend, rendering it the second most extended halt in history.

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

In his interview, he would not answer directly when asked if it was safe to travel by air in the United States, and instead made a direct appeal to controllers.

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

On that day, some planes were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, leading to interruption at the fifth most active airport in the country and among the most crowded in the globe, as well as additional travel extending north to the city of Oakland, California.

The FAA notice went out at 08:45 in the morning on Sunday. Numerous trips were back on schedule before noon.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were postponed an average of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the FAA indicated DFW, the second-busiest airfield in the country, could experience difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

The agency advised travelers in California to consult airlines about revised departure times.

The situation precedes Game 3 of the World Series, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday night, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest periods to travel by air in the US.

Strain on American aviation helped end a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the halt had reached its fifth week and affected flight services, including aviator instruction.

It prompted a number of flight controllers to stay home on the same day on January 25, 2019, briefly halting movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, the former president, who at the period was in his first term as leader, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the federal closure after thirty-five days.