Air travel Delays in the US Expected to Worsen, Transport Chief Alerts

US air traffic controllers are increasingly seeking additional employment and reporting ill, as they remain on duty unpaid during the government shutdown, the transport chief has announced.

"The controllers are becoming strained," the official told Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were grounded on the Californian coast due to staffing shortages.

After the government shut down on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are considered essential workers, were told to continue performing their duties without pay.

But some have been missing, leading terminals to halt or reduce their plane traffic, which has exacerbated delays due to climate and additional factors.

Over 3,000 US flights were delayed on Sunday, and Duffy said he anticipates the situation to deteriorate further.

"I observe the stress," he said in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, noting that he had spoken to several controllers to hear their worries firsthand.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I work for Uber, can I secure an alternative of income to make ends meet?'" he continued.

Duffy added that on Saturday twenty-two notifications at airfields said travel would be delayed due to a lack of employees - among the peak after the closure began.

The US government shutdown reached its twenty-sixth day on Sunday, making it the second-longest halt in history.

Duffy has repeatedly warned that aviation regulators would reduce the quantity of planes in the sky if there is a deficit of safety personnel.

In his interview, he declined to respond straightforwardly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the United States, and instead issued a personal plea to controllers.

"I require my controllers focused on the flight paths, not on the finances at home," the official stated.

On Sunday, 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 among the most crowded in the globe, as well as other flights extending north to the metropolis of Oakland, California.

The FAA notice went out at 8:45 AM local time on Sunday. Many flights were back on schedule before noon.

Flights at Newark Airport, though, were postponed an average of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the FAA said Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airport in the country, could encounter problems from reduced staff later in the day.

The FAA warned passengers in California to consult carriers about revised departure times.

The situation comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in LA on Monday evening, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest periods to travel by air in the United States.

Pressure on US air travel helped end a government shutdown in 2019. Back then, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and affected airline operations, including aviator instruction.

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

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