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US air traffic controllers are more and more looking for second jobs and reporting ill, as they remain on duty without pay during the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official informed Fox News 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 essential workers, were instructed to continue performing their duties uncompensated.

But a number have been missing, causing terminals to halt or reduce their flight operations, which has exacerbated delays due to weather and additional factors.

More than 3,000 American flights were postponed on Sunday, and the secretary stated he anticipates the circumstances to grow worse.

"I observe the pressure," Duffy said in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had spoken to multiple professionals to hear their concerns firsthand.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I drive Uber, can I find another source of income to make ends meet?'" he continued.

Duffy further mentioned that on Saturday 22 alerts at airports said travel would be held up due to a shortage of employees - among the peak since the closure began.

The American federal closure reached its 26th day on Sunday, rendering it the second-longest halt in history.

Duffy has repeatedly warned that aviation regulators would reduce the quantity of aircraft in the sky if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his conversation, he would not answer straightforwardly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the US, and instead made a direct appeal to the professionals.

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

On Sunday, some planes were stopped at LAX due to employee deficits, causing disruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the country and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as additional travel stretching upward to the city of Oakland, California.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert was issued at 08:45 in the morning on Sunday. Many flights were operating normally before noon.

Flights at Newark Airport, however, were delayed an mean of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the authority indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second-busiest airfield in the US, could encounter difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

The FAA advised travelers in California to consult airlines about updated departure times.

The situation precedes Game 3 of the World Series, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest times to fly in the US.

Strain on US air travel contributed to ending a government shutdown in 2019. At the time, the halt had entered its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including aviator instruction.

It led a number of flight controllers to stay home on the same day on January 25, 2019, temporarily stopping travel at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, Donald Trump, who at the time was in his first term as president, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the federal closure after 35 days.