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US air traffic controllers are more and more looking for second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty unpaid during the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official told Fox News on the weekend, as certain aircraft were halted on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

After the government shut down on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are deemed essential workers, were instructed to continue performing their jobs uncompensated.

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

Over 3,000 American flights were postponed on Sunday, and Duffy said he anticipates the situation to grow worse.

"I observe the stress," he remarked in an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had met with several controllers to hear their concerns directly.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I work for Uber, can I secure an alternative of earnings to make ends meet?'" he continued.

Duffy further mentioned that on the previous day 22 alerts at airfields said travel would be held up due to a lack of employees - among the peak after the closure started.

The American federal closure entered its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second most extended halt in the past.

Duffy has repeatedly warned that flight authorities would slow down the number of aircraft in the sky if there is a deficit of security staff.

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

"I need my staff concentrating on the flight paths, not on the monetary matters at their households," Duffy said.

On that day, some planes were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, leading to disruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the nation and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as other flights extending upward to the city of Oakland, California.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice was issued at 8:45 AM in the morning on Sunday. Many flights were back on schedule before noon.

Flights at Newark Airport, however, were delayed an average of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the authority indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airport in the country, could experience problems from reduced staff later in the day.

The FAA advised travelers in California to check with airlines about revised flight schedules.

The issue precedes Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in LA on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest times to travel by air in the United States.

Strain on American aviation helped end a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the shutdown had entered its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

It prompted several flight controllers to remain absent on the same day on January 25, 2019, briefly halting movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the time was in his first term as leader, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the government shutdown after thirty-five days.