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US air traffic controllers are more and more looking for second jobs and calling in sick, as they continue to work without pay amid the federal closure, the transportation secretary has announced.

"These professionals are becoming strained," the official informed Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were grounded on the California shoreline due to personnel deficits.

After the federal closure on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were told to keep doing their jobs without pay.

But some have been missing, leading terminals to halt or reduce their plane traffic, which has added to setbacks due to climate and additional factors.

More than 3,000 American flights were postponed on the weekend, and the secretary said he anticipates the situation to deteriorate further.

"I observe the stress," he remarked in an discussion on a weekend program, noting that he had spoken to multiple professionals to hear their concerns firsthand.

"They're taking side jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I work for Uber, am I able to find another source of earnings to make ends meet?'" he added.

Duffy further mentioned that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airfields said flights would be held up due to a lack of employees - among the peak after the shutdown began.

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

He has consistently cautioned that flight authorities would slow down the number of planes in the sky if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his interview, he would not answer directly when questioned if it was secure to travel by air in the United States, and instead made a direct appeal to controllers.

"I require my staff focused on the flight paths, not on the monetary matters at their households," the official said.

On that day, some planes were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, causing disruption at the fifth most active terminal in the nation and among the most crowded in the world, as well as other flights stretching north to the metropolis of Oakland.

The FAA notice was issued at 8:45 AM in the morning on the weekend. Many flights were operating normally before noon.

Flights at Newark Airport, though, were delayed an mean of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the FAA indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airport in the US, could encounter difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

The agency advised travelers in the state to consult carriers about updated departure times.

The issue comes ahead of the third match of the World Series, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak times to travel by air in the US.

Pressure on American aviation helped end a federal closure in 2019. At the time, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and affected airline operations, including pilot training.

It led several flight controllers to stay home on the identical date on January 25, 2019, briefly halting travel at New York's LaGuardia airport.

That same day, Donald Trump, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the government shutdown after thirty-five days.