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US air traffic controllers are increasingly looking for second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty without pay during the federal closure, the transportation secretary has announced.

"The controllers are becoming strained," the official 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 keep doing their duties uncompensated.

But a number have been absent, leading airports to stop or slow their flight operations, which has exacerbated setbacks caused by weather and additional factors.

Over 3,000 American flights were postponed on the weekend, and Duffy stated he expects the situation to deteriorate further.

"I observe the stress," he remarked in an discussion on a weekend program, noting that he had spoken to multiple professionals to hear their worries directly.

"They are pursuing second jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I work for Uber, can I find another source of income to make ends meet?'" he added.

Duffy further mentioned that on the previous day 22 alerts at airports said travel would be delayed due to a lack of employees - among the peak after the shutdown started.

The American federal closure entered its 26th day on the weekend, making it the second most extended shutdown in the past.

He has repeatedly warned that flight authorities would slow down the number of planes in the sky if there is a shortage of security staff.

In his interview, he declined to respond directly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the US, and instead issued a personal plea to controllers.

"I require my controllers focused on the airspace, not on the monetary matters at their households," Duffy stated.

On that day, certain flights were stopped at LAX due to staffing shortages, causing disruption at the fifth-busiest airport in the country and one of the busiest in the world, as well as other flights stretching north to the city of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice was issued at 8:45 AM in the morning on Sunday. Numerous trips were operating normally by midday.

Travel at Newark Airport, though, were delayed an average of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the FAA indicated DFW, the second most active airfield in the country, could experience difficulties from reduced staff in the afternoon.

The FAA advised passengers in California to check with carriers about revised flight schedules.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday night, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving break, among the peak periods to travel by air in the United States.

Strain on US air travel helped end a government shutdown in 2019. Back then, the halt had reached its fifth week and disrupted airline operations, including pilot training.

It led a number of flight controllers to stay home on the identical date on January 25, 2019, briefly halting movement at New York's LaGuardia airport.

That same day, the former president, who at the period was in his first term as president, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the federal closure after 35 days.