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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 amid the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," Sean Duffy told Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were grounded on the California shoreline due to personnel deficits.

After the federal closure on 1 October, flight controllers, who are considered critical staff, were instructed to keep doing their duties uncompensated.

But some have been missing, leading terminals to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to setbacks due to climate and additional factors.

Over three thousand American flights were postponed on Sunday, and Duffy stated he expects the situation to grow worse.

"I observe the pressure," he remarked in an discussion on a weekend program, noting that he had met with multiple professionals to listen to their concerns firsthand.

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

The secretary further mentioned that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airfields said flights would be held up due to a shortage of employees - one of the highest after the closure started.

The US government shutdown entered its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second-longest shutdown in history.

Duffy has repeatedly warned that aviation regulators would reduce the quantity of planes in the air if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

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

"I require my controllers concentrating on the flight paths, not on the monetary matters at their households," the official stated.

On Sunday, some planes were stopped at LAX due to staffing shortages, leading to interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the nation and one of the busiest in the world, as well as other flights extending upward to the metropolis of Oakland, California.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert was issued at 8:45 AM local time on Sunday. Many flights were back on schedule by midday.

Flights at Newark Airport, though, were postponed an mean of 82 minutes due to staffing shortages, and the FAA indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second-busiest airfield in the country, could encounter difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

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

The issue precedes Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in LA on Monday night, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving break, among the peak times to fly in the United States.

Pressure on US air travel contributed to ending a government shutdown in 2019. At the time, the halt had reached its fifth week and affected airline operations, including aviator instruction.

It led a number of air traffic controllers to stay home on the same day on January 25, 2019, temporarily stopping movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the time was in his first term as leader, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the government shutdown after thirty-five days.