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American flight controllers are increasingly seeking additional employment and calling in sick, as they continue to work without pay amid the government shutdown, the transportation secretary has announced.

"These professionals are wearing thin," Sean Duffy told a news outlet on the weekend, as certain aircraft were grounded on the California shoreline due to personnel deficits.

After the federal closure on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are considered essential workers, were instructed to continue performing their jobs without pay.

But some have been absent, leading terminals to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to delays caused by climate and other issues.

Over 3,000 US flights were delayed on the weekend, and the secretary said he expects the situation to grow worse.

"I observe the stress," he said in an interview on a weekend program, noting that he had spoken to multiple professionals to listen to their concerns firsthand.

"They're taking side jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I drive Uber, am I able to secure an alternative of earnings to cover expenses?'" he continued.

The secretary added that on Saturday 22 alerts at airports said travel would be held up due to a shortage of employees - one of the highest after the closure began.

The American federal closure reached its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second-longest halt in the past.

He has repeatedly warned that flight authorities would reduce the number of planes in the sky 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 issued a direct appeal to controllers.

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

On Sunday, some planes were grounded at LAX due to staffing shortages, causing interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the nation and among the most crowded in the world, as well as other flights extending north to the city of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice went out at 8:45 AM local time on Sunday. Many flights were back on schedule before noon.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were postponed an mean of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the authority indicated DFW, the second most active airfield in the US, could experience problems from low staffing later in the day.

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

The issue comes ahead of the third match of the World Series, which is scheduled in LA on Monday evening, and approximately four weeks prior to the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest times to travel by air in the US.

Strain on US air travel helped end a federal closure in two thousand nineteen. Back then, the halt had entered its fifth week and affected airline operations, including aviator instruction.

It led several air traffic controllers to remain absent on the same day on January 25, 2019, briefly halting travel at New York's LaGuardia airport.

On that date, the former president, who at the time was in his first term as leader, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the government shutdown after 35 days.