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US air traffic controllers are increasingly seeking additional employment and reporting ill, as they continue to work without pay amid the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has announced.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official told a news outlet on Sunday, as some flights were grounded on the California shoreline due to personnel deficits.

Following the government shut down on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are deemed essential workers, were told to continue performing their jobs uncompensated.

But a number have been missing, leading terminals to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to delays caused by weather and additional factors.

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

"I am seeing the stress," he said in an interview on a weekend program, adding that he had spoken to several controllers to hear their concerns firsthand.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I drive Uber, am I able to secure another source of income to make ends meet?'" he added.

Duffy further mentioned that on Saturday 22 alerts at airfields indicated travel would be delayed due to a lack of employees - among the peak since the shutdown started.

The US government shutdown entered its 26th day on the weekend, rendering it the second most extended shutdown in the past.

He has repeatedly warned that aviation regulators would slow down the number of planes in the air if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his conversation, he declined to respond directly when questioned if it was secure to fly in the United States, and instead issued a personal plea to controllers.

"I require my controllers focused on the flight paths, not on the finances at their households," Duffy said.

On Sunday, some planes were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, leading to interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the nation and among the most crowded in the globe, as well as other flights extending upward to the city of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice was issued at 08:45 local time on the weekend. Numerous trips were back on schedule by midday.

Flights at Newark Airport, however, were postponed an mean of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the FAA said DFW, the second-busiest airfield in the country, could encounter problems from reduced staff in the afternoon.

The agency advised travelers in California to consult airlines about updated departure times.

The situation comes ahead of the third match of the championship, which is due to be played in LA on Monday night, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest times to travel by air in the US.

Strain on American aviation helped end a federal closure in two thousand nineteen. At the time, the halt had reached its fifth week and affected flight services, including aviator instruction.

It led a number of flight controllers to stay home on the identical date on 25 January 2019, briefly halting movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, the former president, who at the period was in his first term as president, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.