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American flight controllers are more and more seeking second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty without pay during the federal closure, the transportation secretary has stated.

"The controllers are becoming strained," Sean Duffy told Fox News on Sunday, as some flights were halted on the California shoreline due to personnel deficits.

Following the federal closure on 1 October, air traffic controllers, who are deemed critical staff, were told to continue performing their jobs without pay.

But a number have been absent, causing airports to halt or reduce their plane traffic, which has added to setbacks caused by weather and additional factors.

Over three thousand US flights were postponed on the weekend, and Duffy said he expects the circumstances to deteriorate further.

"I observe the pressure," Duffy said in an discussion on Sunday Morning Futures, noting that he had met with several controllers to listen to their worries firsthand.

"They are pursuing side jobs, they're out there looking, 'Should I work for Uber, can I secure an alternative of income to make ends meet?'" he continued.

The secretary further mentioned that on the previous day 22 alerts at airfields said travel would be held up due to a shortage of employees - one of the highest after the shutdown began.

The American federal closure entered its 26th day on Sunday, making it the second most extended halt in history.

Duffy has repeatedly warned 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 declined to respond straightforwardly when questioned if it was secure to travel by air in the US, and instead made a personal plea to controllers.

"I need my staff focused on the airspace, not on the finances at home," the official stated.

On Sunday, certain flights were grounded at LAX due to employee deficits, causing interruption at the fifth-busiest terminal in the country and one of the busiest in the globe, as well as other flights stretching north to the city of Oakland.

The FAA alert was issued at 08:45 local time on the weekend. Numerous trips were back on schedule by midday.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were postponed an average of over an hour due to personnel issues, and the authority said DFW, the second-busiest airport in the country, could encounter problems from reduced staff later in the day.

The FAA advised travelers in the state to check with carriers about revised 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 about one month before the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak times to fly in the US.

Pressure on American aviation contributed to ending a government shutdown in 2019. At the time, the halt 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 25 January 2019, temporarily stopping movement at New York's LaGuardia airport.

On that date, the former president, who at the period was in his initial presidency as president, consented to approve a temporary funding measure, bringing an end to the government shutdown after thirty-five days.