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US air traffic controllers are more and more seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty unpaid during the government shutdown, the transport chief has stated.

"These professionals are becoming strained," Sean Duffy informed Fox News on Sunday, as certain aircraft were grounded on the Californian coast due to staffing shortages.

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

But some have been missing, leading terminals to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to setbacks due to weather and additional factors.

More than three thousand US flights were postponed on the weekend, and the secretary stated he anticipates the circumstances to deteriorate further.

"I am seeing the stress," he remarked in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had met with multiple professionals to listen to their concerns directly.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I drive Uber, am I able to secure an alternative of income to cover expenses?'" he added.

The secretary further mentioned that on Saturday 22 alerts at airports said flights would be held up due to a shortage of workers - among the peak since the shutdown began.

The American federal closure entered its twenty-sixth day on the weekend, making it the second-longest halt in history.

Duffy 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 straightforwardly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the US, and instead issued a personal plea to the professionals.

"I need my staff focused on the airspace, not on the finances at their households," Duffy stated.

On Sunday, certain flights were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, leading to disruption at the fifth most active airport in the nation and among the most crowded in the globe, as well as additional travel extending upward to the city of Oakland, California.

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

Travel at Newark Airport, however, were delayed an mean of 82 minutes due to staffing shortages, and the authority indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airport in the US, could encounter problems from reduced staff later in the day.

The agency warned travelers in California to consult airlines about revised departure times.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the World Series, which is scheduled in LA on Monday evening, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving break, among the peak times to fly in the US.

Strain on US air travel contributed to ending a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the halt had reached its fifth week and disrupted airline operations, including pilot training.

It prompted a number of flight controllers to remain absent on the identical date on January 25, 2019, temporarily stopping movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, Donald Trump, who at the time was in his first term as leader, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the federal closure after 35 days.