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American flight controllers are more and more seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty without pay amid the federal closure, the transportation secretary has announced.

"The controllers are becoming strained," Sean Duffy told a news outlet on the weekend, as certain aircraft were halted on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

Following the government shut down on October 1st, flight controllers, who are deemed essential workers, were told to keep doing their duties without pay.

But some have been absent, leading airports to stop or slow their plane traffic, which has exacerbated delays due to climate and additional factors.

Over 3,000 US flights were postponed on Sunday, and Duffy stated he anticipates the circumstances to deteriorate further.

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

"They are pursuing side jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I work for Uber, am I able to secure an alternative of income to make ends meet?'" he added.

Duffy added that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airfields indicated travel would be delayed due to a shortage of workers - one of the highest after the closure started.

The US government shutdown entered its twenty-sixth day on Sunday, rendering it the second most extended shutdown in history.

He has repeatedly warned that aviation regulators would reduce the quantity of planes in the sky if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his interview, he declined to respond directly when asked if it was secure to travel by air in the US, and instead made a personal plea 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 LAX due to staffing shortages, causing disruption at the fifth most active terminal in the country and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as other flights extending north to the city of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert went out at 08:45 local time on the weekend. Numerous trips were back on schedule before noon.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were delayed an average of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the FAA said DFW, the second-busiest airport in the US, could experience difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

The FAA warned passengers in the state to check with airlines about revised departure times.

The issue precedes Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and about one month before the Thanksgiving break, among the peak periods to fly in the United States.

Pressure on American aviation helped end a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including aviator instruction.

It led several air traffic controllers to remain absent on the identical date on 25 January 2019, temporarily stopping travel at New York's LaGuardia airport.

That same day, the former president, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the federal closure after 35 days.