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US air traffic controllers are increasingly seeking second jobs and reporting ill, as they remain on duty unpaid amid the federal closure, the transport chief has announced.

"The controllers are wearing thin," Sean Duffy told Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were grounded on the Californian coast due to staffing shortages.

Following the federal closure on October 1st, flight controllers, who are considered critical staff, were told to keep doing their jobs uncompensated.

But some have been absent, causing airports to stop or slow their plane traffic, which has exacerbated delays due to weather and other issues.

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

"I am seeing the stress," he said in an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had spoken to several controllers to listen to their concerns directly.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I work for Uber, can I secure an alternative of income to cover expenses?'" he added.

Duffy further mentioned that on the previous day 22 alerts at airfields said flights would be held up due to a lack of employees - one of the highest after the closure began.

The US government shutdown reached its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second most extended halt in history.

He has consistently cautioned that aviation regulators would reduce the number of aircraft in the air if there is a shortage of security staff.

In his interview, he declined to respond straightforwardly when asked if it was secure to travel by air in the United States, and instead issued a personal plea to controllers.

"I require my staff focused on the airspace, not on the finances at their households," the official said.

On Sunday, certain flights were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, leading to disruption at the fifth most active terminal in the nation and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as additional travel extending upward to the metropolis of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert went out at 8:45 AM in the morning on Sunday. Numerous trips were operating normally by midday.

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

The agency advised passengers in the state to consult airlines about revised departure times.

The situation precedes Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in LA on Monday night, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak times to fly in the United States.

Pressure on US air travel helped end a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and disrupted airline operations, including pilot training.

It prompted several flight controllers to remain absent on the identical date on January 25, 2019, briefly halting movement at New York's LaGuardia airport.

That same day, Donald Trump, 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.