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American flight controllers are increasingly looking for second jobs and calling in sick, as they remain on duty unpaid during the government shutdown, the transport chief has stated.

"These professionals are wearing thin," Sean Duffy told a news outlet on Sunday, as some flights were grounded on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

Following the government shut down on October 1st, flight controllers, who are considered critical staff, were instructed to keep doing their jobs without pay.

But some have been absent, leading terminals to stop or slow their plane traffic, which has added to setbacks due to climate and other issues.

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

"I am seeing the stress," Duffy remarked in an interview on Sunday Morning Futures, noting that he had spoken to multiple professionals to listen to their concerns firsthand.

"They're taking second jobs, they're out there searching, 'Can I drive Uber, am I able to find another source of income to cover expenses?'" he added.

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 American federal closure reached its twenty-sixth day on Sunday, making it the second-longest halt in the past.

Duffy has repeatedly warned that flight authorities would reduce the number of planes in the sky if there is a deficit of safety personnel.

In his interview, he would not answer directly when questioned if it was secure to travel by air in the United States, and instead made a personal plea to controllers.

"I need my staff focused on the flight paths, not on the monetary matters at home," Duffy said.

On Sunday, some planes were grounded at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, leading to interruption at the fifth most active 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 08:45 in the morning on Sunday. Many flights were operating normally by midday.

Travel at Newark Liberty International Airport, though, were postponed an mean of over an hour due to staffing shortages, and the authority said DFW, the second-busiest airport in the US, could experience difficulties from low staffing later in the day.

The agency warned passengers in California to consult airlines about revised departure times.

The issue precedes the third match of the World Series, which is scheduled in LA on Monday evening, and about one month prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest times to fly in the United States.

Pressure on American aviation helped end a government shutdown in two thousand nineteen. Back then, the shutdown had entered its fifth week and affected flight services, including pilot training.

It led a number of air traffic controllers to stay home on the identical date on 25 January 2019, temporarily stopping travel at New York's LaGuardia airport.

That same day, the former president, who at the period was in his initial presidency as leader, consented to approve a short-term spending bill, bringing an end to the government shutdown after thirty-five days.