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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 transportation secretary has stated.

"The controllers are wearing thin," the official informed a news outlet on Sunday, as certain aircraft were grounded on the California shoreline due to staffing shortages.

After the government shut down on 1 October, flight controllers, who are considered critical staff, were told to keep doing their duties uncompensated.

But a number have been absent, leading airports to stop or slow their plane traffic, which has added to delays caused by weather and additional factors.

Over 3,000 US flights were delayed on the weekend, and Duffy said he expects the circumstances to deteriorate further.

"I am seeing the stress," he said in an discussion on a weekend program, adding that he had met with multiple professionals to listen to their worries directly.

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

The secretary added that on Saturday 22 alerts at airfields indicated flights would be delayed due to a lack of employees - one of the highest since the shutdown started.

The US government shutdown reached its 26th day on the weekend, making it the second most extended halt in history.

He has consistently cautioned that flight authorities would reduce the number of planes in the sky if there is a deficit of safety personnel.

In his conversation, he declined to respond directly when asked if it was secure to travel by air in the US, and instead issued a direct appeal to the professionals.

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

On Sunday, some planes were stopped at Los Angeles International Airport due to staffing shortages, leading to disruption at the fifth-busiest airport in the country and one of the busiest in the world, as well as other flights stretching upward to the city of Oakland, California.

The Federal Aviation Administration alert went out at 08:45 in the morning on Sunday. Numerous trips were operating normally by midday.

Flights at Newark Liberty International Airport, however, were delayed an mean of 82 minutes due to staffing shortages, and the authority said DFW, the second most active airfield in the US, could encounter difficulties from low staffing later in the day.

The FAA warned passengers in the state to consult carriers about updated departure times.

The issue comes ahead of Game 3 of the championship, which is scheduled in Los Angeles on Monday night, and approximately four weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, among the peak times to fly in the United States.

Pressure on American aviation contributed to ending a federal closure in 2019. At the time, the shutdown had reached its fifth week and affected airline operations, including pilot training.

It led several flight controllers to remain absent on the same day on 25 January 2019, briefly halting movement at LaGuardia Airport in New York.

On that date, Donald Trump, who at the time was in his first term as leader, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.