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US air traffic controllers are more and more seeking additional employment and reporting ill, as they remain on duty without pay amid the federal closure, the transportation secretary has stated.

"These professionals are wearing thin," Sean Duffy informed a news outlet on Sunday, as some flights were grounded on the Californian coast due to staffing shortages.

After the federal closure on 1 October, flight controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were told to continue performing their jobs without pay.

But a number have been absent, causing airports to halt or reduce their plane traffic, which has added to setbacks caused by climate and other issues.

Over three thousand American flights were postponed on Sunday, and Duffy stated he expects the circumstances to deteriorate further.

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

"They are pursuing side jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I drive Uber, am I able to find an alternative of income to make ends meet?'" he added.

The secretary further mentioned that on Saturday twenty-two notifications at airports indicated travel would be held up due to a lack of workers - among the peak after the shutdown started.

The American federal closure entered its twenty-sixth day on Sunday, rendering it the second most extended shutdown in history.

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

In his interview, he declined to respond straightforwardly when asked if it was safe to fly in the United States, and instead made a direct appeal to controllers.

"I need my staff concentrating on the flight paths, not on the finances at home," the official said.

On that day, some planes were grounded at LAX due to employee deficits, leading to disruption at the fifth most active terminal in the country and among the most crowded in the world, as well as other flights stretching north to the metropolis of Oakland, California.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert was issued at 8:45 AM in the morning on Sunday. Many flights were back on schedule before noon.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were delayed an average of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the authority said Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airfield in the country, could encounter problems from reduced staff later in the day.

The FAA warned travelers in California to check with carriers about revised departure times.

The situation precedes Game 3 of the World Series, which is due to be played in LA on Monday night, and about one month before the Thanksgiving break, among the peak periods to travel by air in the United States.

Strain on US air travel helped end a government shutdown in 2019. At the time, the halt had reached its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

It prompted a number of flight controllers to stay home on the same day on 25 January 2019, temporarily stopping travel at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, Donald Trump, who at the period was in his first term as president, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the federal closure after 35 days.