Flight Delays in the US Set to Intensify, Transport Chief Warns

US air traffic controllers are increasingly seeking additional employment and calling in sick, as they continue to work unpaid amid the government shutdown, the transport chief has announced.

"These professionals are wearing thin," Sean Duffy informed Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were halted on the California shoreline due to personnel deficits.

After the government shut down on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were told to continue performing their duties without pay.

But some have been absent, leading airports to halt or reduce their flight operations, which has exacerbated setbacks caused by weather and other issues.

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

"I observe the stress," Duffy remarked in an interview on a weekend program, adding that he had met with multiple professionals to listen to their worries firsthand.

"They're taking side jobs, they're out there looking, 'Should I drive Uber, am I able to secure another source of earnings to make ends meet?'" he continued.

Duffy further mentioned that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airfields said flights would be delayed due to a lack of workers - one of the highest after the shutdown started.

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 number of aircraft in the sky if there is a deficit of safety personnel.

In his interview, he declined to respond straightforwardly when asked if it was secure to travel by air in the US, and instead issued a direct appeal to the professionals.

"I require my staff focused on the airspace, not on the monetary matters at their households," Duffy stated.

On that day, some planes were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, leading to interruption at the fifth most active airport in the country and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as additional travel stretching upward to the city of Oakland.

The FAA notice was issued at 08:45 local time on the weekend. Numerous trips were back on schedule before noon.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were postponed an mean of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the authority indicated DFW, the second-busiest airfield in the country, could encounter problems from reduced staff later in the day.

The agency warned passengers in California to consult carriers about updated departure times.

The situation comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and about one month before the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak times to travel by air in the US.

Pressure on US air travel helped end a government shutdown in two thousand nineteen. At the time, the halt had reached its fifth week and disrupted airline operations, including pilot training.

It led several air traffic controllers to remain absent on the same day on January 25, 2019, temporarily stopping travel at New York's LaGuardia airport.

On that date, the former president, who at the period was in his first term as leader, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the government shutdown after thirty-five days.