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American flight controllers are more and more seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty without pay during the federal closure, the transportation secretary has stated.

"These professionals are wearing thin," Sean Duffy told a news outlet on Sunday, as certain aircraft were grounded on the California shoreline due to personnel deficits.

Following the federal closure on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are considered essential workers, were told to keep doing their jobs uncompensated.

But some have been absent, leading terminals to stop or slow their plane traffic, which has added to delays caused by climate and other issues.

Over 3,000 US flights were delayed on the weekend, and the secretary stated he expects 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 multiple professionals to listen to their concerns firsthand.

"They're taking side jobs, they're out there looking, 'Should I drive Uber, am I able to find another source of earnings to make ends meet?'" he continued.

The secretary added that on the previous day 22 alerts at airports indicated flights would be delayed due to a shortage of employees - among the peak since the shutdown started.

The American federal closure entered its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second-longest halt in the past.

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

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

"I require my controllers concentrating on the airspace, not on the monetary matters at their households," Duffy said.

On that day, some planes were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, leading to interruption at the fifth most active airport in the nation and one of the busiest in the world, as well as additional travel stretching north to the city of Oakland, California.

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

Flights at Newark Airport, however, were delayed an average of 82 minutes due to staffing shortages, and the FAA said DFW, the second most active airfield in the US, could encounter problems from reduced staff later in the day.

The agency advised travelers in the state to consult carriers about revised departure times.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is due to be played in Los Angeles on Monday night, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving break, among the peak periods to fly in the US.

Pressure on US air travel helped end a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the halt had entered its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

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

That same day, Donald Trump, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the government shutdown after thirty-five days.