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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 without pay during the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has stated.

"These professionals are becoming strained," the official told Fox News on the weekend, as some flights were halted on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

After the federal closure on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were instructed to keep doing their jobs without pay.

But a number have been absent, causing airports to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to delays caused by climate and other issues.

Over three thousand American flights were delayed on the weekend, and the secretary said he expects the situation to deteriorate further.

"I am seeing the pressure," Duffy said in an interview on a weekend program, adding that he had met with several controllers to listen to their concerns firsthand.

"They are pursuing second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I drive Uber, am I able to find an alternative of income to cover expenses?'" he continued.

The secretary further mentioned that on Saturday 22 alerts at airfields indicated travel would be held up due to a lack of workers - one of the highest since the shutdown started.

The American federal closure reached its twenty-sixth day on Sunday, rendering it the second-longest halt in history.

Duffy 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 directly when questioned if it was secure to travel by air in the United States, and instead issued a direct appeal to controllers.

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

On Sunday, certain flights were stopped at LAX due to employee deficits, leading to interruption at the fifth most active airport in the country and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as other flights extending upward to the city of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert was issued at 08:45 in the morning on the weekend. Numerous trips were back on schedule by midday.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were postponed an mean of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the FAA said Dallas Fort-Worth, the second-busiest airport in the country, could experience difficulties from reduced staff in the afternoon.

The agency warned travelers in the state to consult carriers about revised flight schedules.

The situation precedes Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest periods to fly in the US.

Strain on American aviation contributed to ending a federal closure in 2019. At the time, the shutdown had entered its fifth week and disrupted airline operations, including aviator instruction.

It led a number of flight controllers to stay home on the same day on January 25, 2019, briefly halting movement at New York's LaGuardia airport.

On that date, the former president, who at the period was in his first term as president, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the government shutdown after thirty-five days.