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US air traffic controllers are increasingly seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they continue to work without pay during the government shutdown, the transport chief has stated.

"These professionals are wearing thin," the official told a news outlet on Sunday, as some flights were grounded on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

After the federal closure on October 1st, flight controllers, who are considered essential workers, were told to keep doing their jobs uncompensated.

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

Over 3,000 US flights were delayed on the weekend, and Duffy stated he expects the circumstances to grow worse.

"I observe the pressure," Duffy said in an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had met with multiple professionals to listen to their concerns firsthand.

"They are pursuing side jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I drive Uber, can I find an alternative of income to cover expenses?'" he continued.

Duffy further mentioned that on Saturday twenty-two notifications at airports indicated flights would be delayed due to a lack of employees - one of the highest after the shutdown began.

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

Duffy has consistently cautioned that flight authorities would reduce the number of aircraft in the air if there is a deficit of security staff.

In his interview, he would not answer straightforwardly when asked if it was safe to fly in the United States, and instead made a direct appeal to controllers.

"I require my controllers focused on the flight paths, not on the monetary matters at their households," the official stated.

On Sunday, certain flights were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to employee deficits, causing interruption at the fifth most active airport in the nation and among the most crowded in the world, as well as other flights extending upward to the city of Oakland, California.

The FAA alert was issued at 8:45 AM local time on Sunday. Many flights were back on schedule before noon.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were postponed an average of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the FAA said Dallas Fort-Worth, the second most active airport in the US, could encounter problems from low staffing in the afternoon.

The agency warned travelers in California to check with carriers about updated flight schedules.

The situation comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday evening, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest times to fly in the US.

Strain on American aviation contributed to ending a federal closure in two thousand nineteen. At the time, the shutdown had entered its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including pilot training.

It prompted a number of flight controllers to stay home on the same day on January 25, 2019, temporarily stopping movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

That same day, Donald Trump, who at the time 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.