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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 announced.

"These professionals are becoming strained," the official 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, flight controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were told to continue performing their duties without pay.

But a number have been absent, leading airports to halt or reduce their plane traffic, which has exacerbated setbacks due to climate and other issues.

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

"I observe the stress," Duffy said in an interview on a weekend program, adding that he had spoken to multiple professionals to listen to their concerns firsthand.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I work for Uber, can I find an alternative of income to cover expenses?'" he added.

The secretary further mentioned that on Saturday 22 alerts at airfields said flights would be held up due to a lack of workers - among the peak after the closure started.

The American federal closure entered its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second-longest halt in the past.

Duffy has repeatedly warned that flight authorities would slow down the quantity of planes in the air if there is a deficit of safety personnel.

In his interview, he would not answer straightforwardly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the United States, and instead made a personal plea to controllers.

"I require my controllers concentrating on the airspace, not on the finances at home," the official said.

On Sunday, some planes were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, leading to interruption at the fifth most active airport in the country and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as additional travel extending north to the city of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert went out at 08:45 local time on Sunday. Numerous trips were operating normally by midday.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were delayed an average of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the FAA indicated DFW, the second-busiest airport in the US, could experience difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

The agency advised travelers in the state to consult carriers about updated departure times.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday night, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak times to fly in the United States.

Strain on American aviation contributed to ending a federal closure in two thousand nineteen. Back then, the shutdown had entered its fifth week and disrupted airline operations, including pilot training.

It led several flight controllers to remain absent on the same day on 25 January 2019, briefly halting travel at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, the former president, who at the time was in his first term as president, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.