🔗 Share this article

US air traffic controllers are increasingly seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they continue to work without pay amid the federal closure, the transport chief has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official told a news outlet on the weekend, as certain aircraft were grounded on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

Following the government shut down on October 1st, flight controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were told to keep doing their jobs without pay.

But some have been missing, leading airports to halt or reduce their flight operations, which has exacerbated delays due to climate and other issues.

Over three thousand American flights were postponed on the weekend, and Duffy stated he expects the situation to grow worse.

"I observe the stress," Duffy said in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, noting that he had met with multiple professionals to hear their worries firsthand.

"They are pursuing side jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I work for Uber, can I secure another source of income to make ends meet?'" he continued.

Duffy further mentioned that on Saturday twenty-two notifications at airports said travel would be delayed due to a lack of employees - one of the highest after the shutdown started.

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

Duffy has consistently cautioned that aviation regulators would slow down the number of planes in the air if there is a deficit of safety personnel.

In his interview, he declined to respond directly when questioned if it was secure to travel by air in the US, and instead issued a personal plea to the professionals.

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

On that day, certain flights were grounded at LAX due to employee deficits, leading to interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the nation and among the most crowded in the world, as well as other flights stretching north to the city of Oakland, California.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice went out at 08:45 local time on the weekend. Many flights were operating normally before noon.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were postponed an mean of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the authority indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airport in the US, could encounter difficulties from reduced staff in the afternoon.

The FAA advised travelers in California to check with carriers about updated flight schedules.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is due to be played in LA on Monday night, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest periods to fly in the US.

Pressure on US air travel contributed to ending a government shutdown in two thousand nineteen. At the time, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including pilot training.

It led several air traffic controllers to stay home on the identical date on 25 January 2019, temporarily stopping movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the period was in his initial presidency as leader, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the federal closure after thirty-five days.