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US air traffic controllers are increasingly looking for additional employment and reporting ill, as they continue to work unpaid during the government shutdown, the transport chief has announced.

"These professionals are becoming strained," Sean Duffy informed a news outlet on the weekend, as some flights were halted on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

After the government shut down on October 1st, flight controllers, who are deemed essential workers, were told to continue performing their jobs without pay.

But a number have been absent, causing terminals to halt or reduce their plane traffic, which has added to delays caused by weather and other issues.

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

"I am seeing the pressure," Duffy said in an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, adding that he had met with several controllers to hear their worries firsthand.

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

Duffy further mentioned that on the previous day 22 alerts at airfields said travel would be delayed due to a lack of workers - one of the highest since the closure began.

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

Duffy has repeatedly warned that aviation regulators would reduce the quantity of aircraft in the air if there is a shortage of safety personnel.

In his interview, he declined to respond straightforwardly when asked if it was safe to fly in the United States, and instead issued a direct appeal to the professionals.

"I need my staff concentrating on the flight paths, not on the finances at home," Duffy said.

On that day, some planes were stopped at LAX due to employee deficits, leading to disruption at the fifth most active airport in the country and one of the busiest in the world, as well as other flights extending north to the metropolis of Oakland, California.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice was issued at 08:45 in the morning on Sunday. Numerous trips were back on schedule by midday.

Travel at Newark Airport, however, were postponed an mean of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the FAA said DFW, the second-busiest airport in the country, could encounter difficulties from reduced staff later in the day.

The FAA advised travelers in California to check with carriers about updated flight schedules.

The situation precedes Game 3 of the championship, which is due to be played in LA on Monday night, and about one month before the Thanksgiving break, one of the busiest periods to travel by air in the United States.

Strain on American aviation contributed to ending a government shutdown in 2019. Back then, the halt had reached its fifth week and affected flight services, including aviator instruction.

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

That same day, Donald Trump, who at the period was in his first term as leader, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the federal closure after thirty-five days.