As the federal shutdown continues, US flights will be reduced to “a trickle” in the run-up to the Thanksgiving holiday because of rising air traffic control staffing shortages, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said in remarks that were broadcast on Sunday.

Major airlines were dealing with a third day of government-mandated flight cuts after thousands of delays and cancellations snarled traffic on Saturday.

The shutdown, which has reached a record 40 days, has led to shortages of air traffic controllers who, like other federal employees, have not been paid for weeks.

“It’s only going to get worse … the two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle,” Duffy said on CNN’s State of the Union programme.

Millions of people usually travel in the run-up to Thanksgiving, one of the most important US holidays, which this year falls on November 27.

“Many of them are not going to be able to get on an aeroplane, because there are not going to be that many flights that fly if this thing doesn’t open back up,” Duffy said.