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US air traffic controllers are more and more seeking additional employment and calling in sick, as they continue to work without pay during the federal closure, the transportation secretary has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," Sean Duffy told a news outlet on the weekend, as certain aircraft were grounded on the Californian coast due to personnel deficits.

After the government shut down on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are considered essential workers, were told to keep doing their duties without pay.

But a number have been absent, causing airports to stop or slow their flight operations, which has added to setbacks due to weather and other issues.

More than 3,000 US flights were delayed on Sunday, and the secretary stated he expects the situation to deteriorate further.

"I observe the pressure," Duffy said in an interview on a weekend program, noting that he had met with multiple professionals to hear their concerns firsthand.

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

The secretary added that on Saturday 22 alerts at airfields said travel would be delayed due to a lack of workers - one of the highest after the shutdown started.

The American federal closure entered its twenty-sixth day on Sunday, making it the second most extended halt in the past.

He has consistently cautioned that aviation regulators would slow down the number of planes in the sky if there is a deficit of safety personnel.

In his interview, he would not answer directly when asked if it was safe to fly in the US, and instead issued a direct appeal to controllers.

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

On Sunday, some planes were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, causing disruption at the fifth most active airport in the country and among the most crowded in the globe, as well as other flights stretching upward to the city of Oakland.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice was issued at 08:45 local time on Sunday. Many flights were back on schedule by midday.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were delayed an mean of 82 minutes due to personnel issues, and the FAA indicated DFW, the second-busiest airport in the country, could experience difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

The agency warned travelers in the state to check with airlines about revised flight schedules.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is due to be played in LA on Monday evening, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak times to travel by air in the United States.

Strain on American aviation helped end a federal closure in 2019. Back then, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and disrupted flight services, including aviator instruction.

It prompted a number of air traffic controllers to stay home on the same day on January 25, 2019, briefly halting movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the period was in his initial presidency as leader, agreed to sign a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the federal closure after thirty-five days.