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US air traffic controllers are increasingly looking for second jobs and reporting ill, as they remain on duty unpaid during the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has announced.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official told a news outlet on Sunday, as certain aircraft were grounded on the Californian coast due to staffing shortages.

Following the federal closure on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are considered essential workers, were told to continue performing their duties without pay.

But some have been absent, leading terminals to halt or reduce their flight operations, which has exacerbated delays due to weather and other issues.

Over 3,000 US flights were delayed on Sunday, and the secretary said he expects the situation to grow worse.

"I observe the pressure," he remarked in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, noting that he had spoken to several controllers to listen to their worries directly.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I drive Uber, can I find an alternative of income to make ends meet?'" he added.

Duffy further mentioned that on the previous day 22 alerts at airports indicated flights would be delayed due to a lack of employees - among the peak after the closure began.

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

He has consistently cautioned that flight authorities would reduce the quantity 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 secure to travel by air in the US, and instead issued a direct appeal to the professionals.

"I require my staff focused on the flight paths, 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 most active airport in the nation and among the most crowded in the world, as well as additional travel extending north to the city of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice was issued at 8:45 AM local time on Sunday. Many flights were operating normally before noon.

Flights at Newark Airport, however, were postponed an mean of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the authority said Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airfield in the US, could encounter problems from low staffing later in the day.

The agency advised passengers in California to check with airlines about revised departure times.

The situation precedes the third match of the World Series, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday night, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest times to fly in the US.

Strain on American aviation contributed to ending a government shutdown in 2019. At the time, the halt had entered its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

It prompted a number of air traffic controllers to remain absent on the identical date on 25 January 2019, temporarily stopping movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, the former president, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the government shutdown after 35 days.