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US air traffic controllers are more and more looking for second jobs and reporting ill, as they continue to work without pay during the federal closure, the transportation secretary has stated.

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

After the federal closure on 1 October, flight controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were told to continue performing their jobs uncompensated.

But a number have been absent, causing terminals to stop or slow their plane traffic, which has added to delays caused by climate and other issues.

Over three thousand American flights were delayed on Sunday, and Duffy stated he expects the situation to grow worse.

"I observe the stress," he said in an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had met with multiple professionals to hear their worries directly.

"They're taking side jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I work for Uber, can I find another source of earnings to cover expenses?'" he added.

The secretary added that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airports indicated flights would be held up due to a lack of employees - among the peak since the shutdown began.

The US government shutdown reached its 26th day on Sunday, rendering it the second-longest halt in the past.

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

In his interview, he would not answer straightforwardly when asked if it was secure to travel by air in the United States, and instead issued a personal plea to the professionals.

"I require my staff concentrating on the flight paths, not on the monetary matters at home," Duffy stated.

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

The Federal Aviation Administration alert was issued at 08:45 local time on Sunday. Numerous trips were operating normally before noon.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were postponed an average of over an hour due to personnel issues, and the authority indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airport in the country, could experience problems from low staffing in the afternoon.

The FAA warned passengers in California to check with carriers about updated departure times.

The issue comes ahead of the third match of the World Series, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday night, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest times to travel by air in the US.

Strain on American aviation contributed to ending a federal closure in 2019. At the time, the halt had entered its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including aviator instruction.

It prompted several flight controllers to stay home on the identical date on 25 January 2019, temporarily stopping travel at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the period was in his initial presidency as leader, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.