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US air traffic controllers are increasingly seeking additional employment and reporting ill, as they continue to work unpaid amid the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has announced.

"These professionals are becoming strained," Sean Duffy informed Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were halted on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

After the government shut down on October 1st, air traffic controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were told to continue performing their duties uncompensated.

But some have been absent, leading airports to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to delays caused by weather and additional factors.

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

"I am seeing the pressure," he said in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had spoken to multiple professionals to hear their worries firsthand.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there looking, 'Should I work for Uber, can I secure an alternative of earnings to cover expenses?'" he added.

The secretary further mentioned that on the previous day 22 alerts at airports said travel would be delayed due to a lack of workers - among the peak since the closure started.

The US government shutdown reached its 26th day on Sunday, rendering it the second most extended halt in the past.

He has repeatedly warned that aviation regulators would slow down the number of aircraft in the air if there is a deficit of security staff.

In his conversation, he declined to respond directly when questioned if it was safe to travel by air in the US, and instead issued a personal plea to controllers.

"I require my controllers focused on the airspace, not on the finances at home," Duffy stated.

On Sunday, some planes were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, causing interruption at the fifth-busiest airport in the nation 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 notice went out at 8:45 AM local time on the weekend. Numerous trips were operating normally by midday.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were delayed an mean of 82 minutes due to staffing shortages, and the FAA said Dallas Fort-Worth, the second-busiest airport in the country, could encounter problems from low staffing in the afternoon.

The FAA warned travelers in the state to check with airlines about revised flight schedules.

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

Strain on American aviation helped end a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the shutdown had entered its fifth week and affected airline operations, including pilot training.

It led a number of air traffic controllers to remain absent on the identical date on January 25, 2019, temporarily stopping travel at New York's LaGuardia airport.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the time was in his initial presidency as president, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the federal closure after 35 days.