U.S, March 17 -- The departures board at Berlin Brandenburg Airport turned red before sunrise.

Flights to Frankfurt, Munich, and London - cancelled. Security lines stood empty. On the railway platforms below the city, commuters checked their phones and turned back. Across Germany, buses remained in depots, trains idled in stations, and aircraft sat motionless on tarmacs.

For travelers, the disruption has become almost routine.

In Europe's largest economy - long associated with precision and reliability - a wave of strikes across transport sectors has made planning even short journeys uncertain. Business trips are rescheduled. Conferences are postponed. Family holidays unravel before they begin.

"It's no longer surprising," said a cons...