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US air traffic controllers are more and more seeking additional employment and reporting ill, as they remain on duty without pay during the government shutdown, the transport chief has announced.

"These professionals are wearing thin," Sean Duffy told Fox News on Sunday, as certain aircraft were grounded on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

Following the government shut down on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were told to continue performing their jobs uncompensated.

But a number have been absent, causing airports to halt or reduce their flight operations, which has exacerbated setbacks caused by weather and other issues.

Over three thousand US flights were postponed on the weekend, and the secretary stated he expects the situation to deteriorate further.

"I am seeing the stress," Duffy said in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, noting that he had spoken to several controllers to hear their concerns directly.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I work for Uber, am I able to secure an alternative of earnings to cover expenses?'" he continued.

The secretary further mentioned that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airfields said flights would be held up due to a lack of workers - one of the highest after the shutdown started.

The US government shutdown entered its 26th day on the weekend, making it the second-longest shutdown in history.

Duffy has repeatedly warned that aviation regulators would reduce the number of aircraft in the sky if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his conversation, he declined to respond directly when questioned if it was safe to travel by air in the United States, and instead made a direct appeal to controllers.

"I need my staff focused on the flight paths, not on the monetary matters at their households," the official said.

On that day, some planes were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, causing disruption at the fifth most active airport in the nation and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as additional travel stretching upward to the metropolis of Oakland, California.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert was issued at 08:45 in the morning on the weekend. Numerous trips were back on schedule by midday.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were delayed an mean of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the FAA indicated DFW, the second most active airport in the country, could experience difficulties from low staffing later in the day.

The agency advised passengers in the state to check with airlines about updated departure times.

The issue precedes Game 3 of the World Series, which is due to be played in LA on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak times to fly in the United States.

Strain on American aviation helped end a federal closure in 2019. At the time, the halt had entered its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

It led several flight controllers to remain absent on the same day on January 25, 2019, temporarily stopping movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the period was in his initial presidency as president, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the federal closure after thirty-five days.