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US air traffic controllers are increasingly seeking additional employment and calling in sick, as they continue to work unpaid amid the federal closure, the transportation secretary has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official informed Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were grounded on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

After the federal closure on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are considered essential workers, were told to continue performing their jobs uncompensated.

But some have been absent, causing airports to halt or reduce their plane traffic, which has added to delays due to climate and other issues.

More than 3,000 American flights were postponed on Sunday, and Duffy stated he expects the circumstances to grow worse.

"I am seeing the stress," he said in an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, noting that he had spoken to several controllers to listen to their worries directly.

"They are pursuing side jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I work for Uber, am I able to find another source of income to cover expenses?'" he added.

Duffy 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 shutdown started.

The US government shutdown entered its twenty-sixth day on Sunday, making it the second-longest halt in the past.

He has consistently cautioned that flight authorities would reduce the number of planes in the air if there is a shortage of security staff.

In his conversation, he would not answer straightforwardly when questioned if it was safe to travel by air in the United States, and instead made a personal plea to controllers.

"I require my staff concentrating on the airspace, not on the finances at their households," Duffy stated.

On Sunday, some planes were grounded at LAX due to staffing shortages, causing disruption at the fifth most active airport in the nation and among the most crowded in the world, as well as other flights stretching north to the city of Oakland.

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

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were delayed an average of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the authority said DFW, the second most active airfield in the country, could encounter difficulties from reduced staff in the afternoon.

The agency advised travelers in California to consult carriers about updated flight schedules.

The situation comes ahead of the third match of the championship, which is scheduled in LA on Monday night, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest periods to fly in the US.

Strain on US air travel contributed to ending a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the shutdown had entered its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

It prompted several flight controllers to stay home on the same day on 25 January 2019, briefly halting movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, the former president, who at the period was in his initial presidency as leader, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the government shutdown after 35 days.