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US air traffic controllers are more and more seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they continue to work unpaid during the government shutdown, the transport chief has announced.

"These professionals are becoming strained," Sean Duffy told Fox News on Sunday, as certain aircraft were halted on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

After the federal closure on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are deemed essential workers, were told to continue performing their jobs without pay.

But some have been missing, causing terminals to halt or reduce their plane traffic, which has added to delays caused by climate and additional factors.

Over three thousand American flights were delayed on Sunday, and the secretary said he anticipates the circumstances to deteriorate further.

"I am seeing the stress," Duffy said in an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, noting that he had met with several controllers to listen to their worries firsthand.

"They're taking side jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I drive Uber, can I secure another source of earnings to cover expenses?'" he added.

The secretary added that on the previous day 22 alerts at airports indicated flights would be held up due to a shortage of employees - one of the highest after the shutdown began.

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

Duffy has consistently cautioned that aviation regulators would reduce the quantity of aircraft in the air if there is a deficit of safety personnel.

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

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

On Sunday, certain flights were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, leading to interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the nation and among the most crowded in the world, as well as additional travel extending north to the city of Oakland.

The FAA notice was issued at 8:45 AM local time on the weekend. Numerous trips were back on schedule before noon.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were postponed an average of over an hour due to personnel issues, and the authority indicated DFW, the second most active airfield in the country, could experience problems from reduced staff in the afternoon.

The agency advised passengers in California to check with carriers about updated flight schedules.

The situation precedes Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday night, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest periods to fly in the US.

Pressure on US air travel contributed to ending a federal closure in 2019. At the time, the halt had entered its fifth week and affected airline operations, including aviator instruction.

It led a number of air traffic controllers to stay home on the same day on January 25, 2019, temporarily stopping movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, the former president, who at the period was in his first term as leader, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.