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US air traffic controllers are more and more seeking second jobs and reporting ill, as they remain on duty unpaid amid the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has announced.

"The controllers are wearing thin," Sean Duffy informed a news outlet on the weekend, as certain aircraft were halted on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

After the federal closure on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are considered essential workers, were told to continue performing their duties uncompensated.

But a number have been absent, causing terminals to halt or reduce their flight operations, which has exacerbated setbacks due to climate and other issues.

Over three thousand US flights were postponed on Sunday, and the secretary stated he expects the circumstances to deteriorate further.

"I observe the pressure," he remarked in an discussion on a weekend program, noting that he had met with several controllers to listen to their worries directly.

"They are pursuing second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I work for Uber, can I secure an alternative of earnings to cover expenses?'" he added.

Duffy added that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airports indicated flights would be held up due to a lack of workers - among the peak since the shutdown began.

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

He has repeatedly warned that flight authorities would reduce the quantity of aircraft in the sky if there is a shortage of security staff.

In his conversation, he declined to respond straightforwardly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the US, and instead issued a personal plea to controllers.

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

On that day, some planes were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, leading to disruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the country and among the most crowded in the globe, as well as other flights extending upward to the metropolis of Oakland.

The FAA notice went out at 08:45 in the morning on the weekend. Many flights were operating normally before noon.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were delayed an average of over an hour due to personnel issues, and the authority said DFW, the second most active airport in the US, could encounter difficulties from low staffing later in the day.

The FAA advised passengers in the state to consult airlines about updated flight schedules.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the World Series, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak periods to fly in the United States.

Strain on American aviation helped end a federal closure in 2019. At the time, the halt had reached its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including pilot training.

It led several flight controllers to remain absent on the same day on January 25, 2019, briefly halting travel at New York's LaGuardia airport.

On that date, the former president, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the government shutdown after 35 days.