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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 transport chief has announced.

"The controllers are becoming strained," the official told Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were halted on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

Following the government shut down on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are considered essential workers, were instructed to keep doing their jobs uncompensated.

But a number have been missing, causing airports to halt or reduce their flight operations, which has added to setbacks caused by weather and other issues.

More than 3,000 American flights were postponed on the weekend, and the secretary said he expects the circumstances to grow worse.

"I observe the pressure," Duffy remarked in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, noting that he had met with multiple professionals to hear their worries firsthand.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Should I drive Uber, am I able to find another source of income to cover expenses?'" he continued.

The secretary added that on the previous day twenty-two notifications at airports said travel would be delayed due to a shortage of employees - one of the highest after the shutdown started.

The American federal closure reached its twenty-sixth day on the weekend, rendering it the second-longest shutdown 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 declined to respond directly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the US, and instead made a direct appeal to controllers.

"I need my staff focused on the flight paths, not on the monetary matters at their households," the official said.

On that day, some planes were stopped at LAX due to employee deficits, causing interruption at the fifth most active airport in the nation and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as additional travel extending north to the metropolis of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice went out at 8:45 AM local time on Sunday. Numerous trips were operating normally before noon.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were delayed an average of 82 minutes due to staffing shortages, and the FAA indicated DFW, the second-busiest airport in the country, could experience problems from reduced staff in the afternoon.

The FAA advised travelers in the state to check with carriers about revised flight schedules.

The issue precedes Game 3 of the World Series, which is scheduled in LA on Monday night, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak times to fly in the United States.

Strain on US air travel contributed to ending a government shutdown in 2019. At the time, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and affected airline operations, including pilot training.

It led several air traffic controllers to remain absent on the identical date on 25 January 2019, briefly halting movement 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 government shutdown after 35 days.