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

"These professionals are becoming strained," the official informed a news outlet on Sunday, as certain aircraft were grounded on the California shoreline due to personnel deficits.

Following the government shut down on 1 October, flight controllers, who are considered essential workers, were instructed to continue performing their duties without pay.

But a number have been missing, causing terminals to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to delays due to climate and other issues.

More than three thousand American flights were postponed on Sunday, and Duffy stated he anticipates the situation to deteriorate further.

"I am seeing the pressure," Duffy said in an interview on a weekend program, adding that he had met with multiple professionals to hear their concerns directly.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there looking, 'Should I work for Uber, can I find another source of income to cover expenses?'" he added.

The secretary further mentioned that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airfields indicated flights would be held up due to a shortage of employees - one of the highest after the closure began.

The US government shutdown reached its twenty-sixth day on the weekend, making it the second most extended shutdown in the past.

Duffy has repeatedly warned that aviation regulators would slow down the quantity of planes in the sky if there is a shortage of security staff.

In his interview, he declined to respond directly when asked if it was safe to fly in the United States, and instead issued a direct appeal to the professionals.

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

On that day, certain flights were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, causing disruption at the fifth-busiest airport in the nation and among the most crowded in the world, as well as other flights stretching north to the metropolis of Oakland, California.

The FAA alert went out at 08:45 local time on the weekend. Numerous trips were back on schedule by midday.

Travel at Newark Airport, however, were delayed an average of 82 minutes due to staffing shortages, and the authority indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second-busiest airport in the country, could experience difficulties from low staffing later in the day.

The agency warned passengers in the state to consult airlines about updated departure times.

The situation comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday night, and about one month before the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak times to fly in the US.

Pressure on American aviation helped end a government shutdown in 2019. Back then, the halt had reached its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

It led several air traffic controllers to stay home on the identical date on January 25, 2019, briefly halting travel at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, the former president, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the federal closure after 35 days.