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US air traffic controllers are increasingly seeking second jobs and reporting ill, as they remain on duty unpaid during the federal closure, the transportation secretary has stated.

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

After the government shut down on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are considered critical staff, were told to keep doing their duties without pay.

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

Over 3,000 US flights were postponed on Sunday, and the secretary stated he anticipates the situation to grow worse.

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

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I work for Uber, can I find an alternative of earnings to cover expenses?'" he added.

The secretary added that on Saturday twenty-two notifications at airports indicated flights would be held up due to a shortage of workers - one of the highest since the closure began.

The US government shutdown reached its 26th day on the weekend, rendering it the second-longest shutdown in history.

He has consistently cautioned that flight authorities would reduce the quantity of planes in the air if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his interview, he declined to respond straightforwardly when questioned if it was secure to travel by air in the United States, and instead issued a direct appeal to controllers.

"I need my staff focused on the airspace, not on the monetary matters at their households," Duffy said.

On that day, certain flights were grounded at LAX due to staffing shortages, leading to interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the nation and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as additional travel extending upward to the metropolis of Oakland.

The FAA notice was issued at 8:45 AM local time on Sunday. Many flights were operating normally by midday.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were postponed an average of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the FAA said DFW, the second-busiest airfield in the US, could encounter problems from low staffing later in the day.

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

The issue precedes the third match of the championship, which is scheduled in LA on Monday evening, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest periods to fly in the United States.

Strain on US air travel contributed to ending a government shutdown in 2019. At the time, the halt had entered its fifth week and affected airline operations, including pilot training.

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

On that date, the former president, who at the period was in his initial presidency as president, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the federal closure after 35 days.