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US air traffic controllers are increasingly seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty without pay during the federal closure, the transport chief has stated.

"These professionals are becoming strained," the official told a news outlet on Sunday, as certain aircraft were grounded on the Californian coast due to staffing shortages.

Following the government shut down on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are considered critical staff, were told to keep doing their jobs uncompensated.

But some have been absent, causing terminals to halt or reduce their flight operations, which has added to setbacks caused by weather and other issues.

Over 3,000 American flights were postponed on the weekend, and Duffy stated he anticipates the circumstances to grow worse.

"I am seeing the pressure," Duffy remarked in an interview on a weekend program, noting that he had met with several controllers to listen to their worries directly.

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

The secretary added that on the previous day 22 alerts at airfields indicated travel would be held up due to a shortage of workers - one of the highest after the closure began.

The US government shutdown entered its twenty-sixth day on the weekend, rendering it the second-longest halt in history.

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

In his interview, he would not answer directly when asked if it was secure to travel by air in the US, and instead made a personal plea to the professionals.

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

On Sunday, some planes were stopped at LAX due to staffing shortages, leading to interruption at the fifth most active terminal in the nation and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as additional travel stretching upward to the metropolis of Oakland, California.

The FAA alert was issued at 08:45 in the morning on Sunday. Many flights were back on schedule before noon.

Flights at Newark Airport, however, were delayed an mean of 82 minutes due to staffing shortages, and the FAA indicated Dallas Fort-Worth, the second-busiest airfield in the country, could encounter problems from reduced staff in the afternoon.

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

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

Pressure on US air travel helped end a government shutdown in two thousand nineteen. At the time, the halt had reached its fifth week and disrupted airline operations, including pilot training.

It led several air traffic controllers to stay home on the identical date on January 25, 2019, briefly halting movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, the former president, who at the time was in his initial presidency as leader, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the federal closure after 35 days.