US air traffic controllers are increasingly looking for second jobs and calling out sick, as they continue to work without a paycheque during the government shutdown, the transportation secretary said on Sunday.
"The controllers are wearing thin," Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News, as a ground stop was issued for much of the California coast due to staffing shortages.
After the government shut down on 1 October, controllers, who are considered essential workers, were told to keep doing their jobs without pay.
But some have been absent, leading airports to stop or slow their plane traffic and add to delays caused by weather and other issues. Duffy said he expects the situation to grow worse.
Altogether, more than 3,000 US flights were delayed on Sunday.
