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US air traffic controllers are increasingly looking for second jobs and reporting ill, as they continue to work without pay amid the federal closure, the transport chief has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official told Fox News on the weekend, as some flights were grounded on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

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

But a number have been absent, leading terminals to stop or slow their flight operations, which has exacerbated delays due to climate and other issues.

More than 3,000 American flights were postponed on the weekend, and Duffy said he expects the situation to deteriorate further.

"I am seeing the stress," he said in an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had met with multiple professionals to listen to their concerns directly.

"They are pursuing side jobs, they're out there looking, 'Should I drive Uber, can I find another source of income to cover expenses?'" he added.

The secretary added that on Saturday twenty-two notifications at airports said flights would be delayed due to a lack of workers - among the peak since the closure began.

The US government shutdown entered its twenty-sixth day on Sunday, making it the second-longest halt in the past.

Duffy has repeatedly warned that flight authorities would reduce the number of aircraft in the air if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his interview, he would not answer straightforwardly when asked if it was safe to travel by air in the United States, and instead made a direct appeal to the professionals.

"I require my staff focused on the flight paths, not on the finances at their households," the official stated.

On that day, some planes were grounded at LAX due to staffing shortages, leading to interruption at the fifth most active airport in the nation and one of the busiest in the world, as well as other flights stretching upward to the city of Oakland, California.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice was issued at 8:45 AM in the morning on Sunday. Many flights were back on schedule by midday.

Travel at Newark Airport, though, were delayed an mean of over an hour due to personnel issues, and the FAA said Dallas Fort-Worth, the second-busiest airfield in the US, could encounter difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

The FAA advised travelers in California to check with carriers about updated flight schedules.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the World Series, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday night, and about one month before 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 shutdown had reached its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including pilot training.

It led a number of flight controllers to stay home on the identical date on January 25, 2019, temporarily stopping travel at New York's LaGuardia airport.

That same day, the former president, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the federal closure after thirty-five days.