Air travel Delays in America Set to Worsen, Transport Secretary Alerts

American flight controllers are more and more looking for second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty unpaid amid the government shutdown, the transport chief has stated.

"These professionals are becoming strained," Sean Duffy told Fox News on the weekend, as some flights were grounded on the Californian coast due to staffing shortages.

Following the government shut down on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are considered critical staff, were told to continue performing their jobs without pay.

But some have been missing, causing airports to halt or reduce their plane traffic, which has added to delays caused by weather and additional factors.

More than 3,000 American flights were postponed on the weekend, and the secretary stated he expects the situation to deteriorate further.

"I observe the pressure," Duffy remarked in an interview on a weekend program, noting that he had met with several controllers to hear their worries directly.

"They are pursuing side jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I work for Uber, can I find an alternative of income to make ends meet?'" he added.

Duffy further mentioned that on the previous day 22 alerts at airfields indicated flights would be held up due to a shortage of employees - one of the highest since the closure started.

The US government shutdown entered its twenty-sixth day on the weekend, rendering it the second-longest halt in the past.

He has consistently cautioned that flight authorities would reduce the number of aircraft in the sky if there is a deficit of safety personnel.

In his conversation, he would not answer directly when asked if it was secure to travel by air in the US, and instead made a direct appeal to the professionals.

"I need my controllers concentrating on the airspace, not on the monetary matters at home," Duffy stated.

On Sunday, certain flights were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, causing disruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the country and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as additional travel stretching north to the metropolis of Oakland.

The FAA notice went out at 8:45 AM local time on Sunday. 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 US, could encounter difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

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

The situation comes ahead of Game 3 of the World Series, which is scheduled in LA on Monday night, 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 federal closure in 2019. At the time, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

It prompted a number of air traffic controllers to stay home on the identical date on 25 January 2019, briefly halting movement at New York's LaGuardia airport.

That same day, the former president, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.