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US air traffic controllers are increasingly looking for additional employment and reporting ill, as they remain on duty without pay amid the federal closure, the transport chief has stated.

"The controllers are becoming strained," the official told a news outlet on the weekend, as some flights were halted on the Californian coast due to staffing shortages.

Following the government shut down on October 1st, flight controllers, who are deemed essential workers, were instructed to continue performing their jobs uncompensated.

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

More than three thousand American flights were delayed on Sunday, and Duffy stated he anticipates the circumstances to deteriorate further.

"I am seeing the pressure," Duffy remarked in an discussion on a weekend program, adding that he had spoken to multiple professionals to hear their worries directly.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I work for Uber, can I find an alternative of earnings to cover expenses?'" he added.

Duffy further mentioned that on Saturday 22 alerts at airfields indicated flights would be held up due to a lack of workers - one of the highest since the shutdown started.

The American federal closure reached its 26th day on the weekend, making it the second-longest shutdown in the past.

Duffy has consistently cautioned that aviation regulators would slow down the number of planes in the sky if there is a shortage of security staff.

In his conversation, he declined to respond directly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the US, and instead issued a direct appeal to the professionals.

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

On that day, some planes were stopped at LAX due to employee deficits, causing disruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the country and among the most crowded in the globe, as well as additional travel extending north to the metropolis of Oakland, California.

The FAA notice went out at 08:45 in the morning on the weekend. Many flights were back on schedule by midday.

Flights at Newark Airport, however, were delayed an average of over an hour due to personnel issues, and the FAA indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airport in the country, could experience problems from reduced staff in the afternoon.

The agency warned travelers in California to check with carriers about revised flight schedules.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the World Series, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak periods to travel by air in the United States.

Strain on US air travel helped end a government shutdown in 2019. Back then, the halt had reached its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including pilot training.

It led several flight controllers to remain absent on the same day on January 25, 2019, temporarily stopping movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the federal closure after 35 days.