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

"These professionals are wearing thin," the official informed Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were halted on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

Following the federal closure on October 1st, flight controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were instructed to keep doing their jobs without pay.

But some have been absent, leading airports to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to delays caused by weather and additional factors.

More than 3,000 American flights were postponed on the weekend, and Duffy stated he anticipates the circumstances to grow worse.

"I am seeing the stress," Duffy remarked in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had spoken to several controllers to listen to their worries firsthand.

"They are pursuing second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I work for Uber, can I secure another source of income to cover expenses?'" he continued.

Duffy further mentioned that on Saturday twenty-two notifications at airports said travel would be held up due to a shortage of employees - among the peak after the closure began.

The American federal closure entered its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second-longest shutdown in history.

Duffy has consistently cautioned that aviation regulators would slow down the quantity of planes in the air if there is a shortage of security staff.

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

"I require my controllers concentrating on the airspace, not on the monetary matters at their households," Duffy said.

On Sunday, certain flights were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, causing interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal 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 was issued at 8:45 AM in the morning on Sunday. Many flights were operating normally before noon.

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

The agency warned travelers in California to check with airlines about updated flight schedules.

The issue comes ahead of the third match of the championship, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest times to fly in the US.

Strain on US air travel helped end a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the halt had entered its fifth week and disrupted airline operations, including aviator instruction.

It prompted a number of flight controllers to stay home on the same day 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 leader, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the government shutdown after thirty-five days.