🔗 Share this article

American flight controllers are more and more seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they continue to work unpaid during the government shutdown, the transport chief has announced.

"These professionals are becoming strained," Sean Duffy told a news outlet on Sunday, as some flights were grounded on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

After the government shut down on October 1st, flight controllers, who are considered critical staff, were instructed to continue performing their jobs without pay.

But a number have been absent, leading terminals to halt or reduce their flight operations, which has exacerbated delays caused by weather and additional factors.

Over 3,000 US flights were postponed on Sunday, and Duffy stated he anticipates the situation to grow worse.

"I observe the pressure," he remarked in an discussion on a weekend program, noting that he had spoken to multiple professionals to hear their concerns directly.

"They're taking side jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I work for Uber, can I find another source of earnings to cover expenses?'" he continued.

Duffy added that on Saturday 22 alerts at airfields said flights would be held up due to a lack of workers - one of the highest after the closure began.

The US government shutdown entered its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second-longest shutdown in the past.

Duffy has consistently cautioned that flight authorities would slow down the number of aircraft in the air if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his conversation, he declined to respond straightforwardly when questioned if it was safe to travel by air in the United States, and instead issued a direct appeal to the professionals.

"I need my controllers focused on the flight paths, not on the monetary matters at home," Duffy stated.

On that day, certain flights were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, leading to disruption at the fifth most active airport in the country and one of the busiest in the world, as well as other flights extending north to the city of Oakland, California.

The FAA alert went out at 8:45 AM in the morning on the weekend. Many flights were operating normally by midday.

Travel at Newark Airport, though, were delayed an average of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the FAA indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second-busiest airport in the country, could experience problems from reduced staff later in the day.

The FAA advised travelers in the state to check with airlines about updated departure times.

The situation comes ahead of the third match of the championship, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest periods to travel by air in the United States.

Strain on US air travel contributed to ending a government shutdown in 2019. Back then, the halt had entered its fifth week and disrupted airline operations, including pilot training.

It prompted several flight controllers to remain absent on the identical date on 25 January 2019, temporarily stopping movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, the former president, who at the time was in his first term as leader, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the federal closure after 35 days.