Striking workers left German train stations and airports quiet on Thursday as the travel plans of millions of people were thrown into chaos by parallel transport sector strikes, plus further unannounced walkouts unexpectedly taking place too.
That forced travellers within Germany to largely go by road, whether by car or bus, as large parts of the country's long-distance and regional rail network came to a standstill.
Train drivers began a 35-hour strike over pay on Thursday morning, in industrial action that coincided with the start of a two-day strike by ground staff at national carrier Lufthansa.
The airline was only expected to fly 10% to 20% of its original schedule, and operations at its Frankfurt and Munich hubs were severely hobbled.
Security staff at Dusseldorf airport then joined the wave of strikes with no prior announcement, the airport and trade union Verdi said.
During the night, the staff and freight controllers at Cologne-Bonn Airport also went on an unannounced strike.
On the rails, Deutsche Bahn, the state-owned national train company, warned the strike would have "massive effects" on its operations, with only a fifth of long-distance trains in operation on Thursday and Friday.
Regional services varied significantly depending on the part of the country. A freight transport strike had already begun on Wednesday evening.
It was the fifth strike in the months-long wage dispute between the German Train Drivers' Union (GDL) and Deutsche Bahn. The sticking point in the talks continues to be the GDL's core demand for a reduction in weekly working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35, with full wage compensation.
Coinciding contract negotiations have left Germany roiled by strikes for months, affecting everything from local buses, trams and metros, to high-speed trains and the country's biggest airports.
At Lufthansa, the Verdi union representing around 25,000 airline ground staff is demanding a 12.5% pay raise, or at least €500 ($545) more per month. In addition, Verdi is seeking a group-wide inflation compensation bonus of €3,000.
Lufthansa has so far offered 10% more pay and the inflation compensation bonus spread out over a period of 28 months.
Frankfurt Airport was dealt a double blow on Thursday when not only Lufthansa ground staff went on strike, but also security staff.
The airport's operator said no one should come to the airport, as no passengers would be able to enter the airport's security area due to the lack of staff at security checkpoints.
However, take-offs and landings were due to take place, meaning that at least transit passengers could change planes and make their flights.
Security staff also went on strike at Hamburg Airport. All 141 departures originally scheduled from there for Thursday had already been cancelled by Tuesday evening.
Munich Airport said around 500 of 800 flights were to be cancelled on Thursday with a similar number of cancellations expected for Friday.
Both strikes were set to continue into Friday, with the rail strike set to end at 1 pm (1200 GMT). The Lufthansa strike also runs through Friday.
The cost of the industrial action is mounting, Lufthansa said, with the continued strikes by airport staff have cost the company around €100 million so far this year.
In addition, numerous customers have held back on bookings, chief financial executive Remco Steenbergen said on Thursday at the presentation of the group's annual figures in Frankfurt.
Lufthansa's head of human resources, Michael Niggemann, called on the unions to return to the negotiating table. Only there can solutions be found, he said.
However, more strikes at Lufthansa might be looming, with cabin crew union members also voting in favour of strikes on Wednesday. They did not set a date, however.
The industrial action was criticized by the Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS).
"The trade unions are trying to paralyse the country regardless of the economic impact. This is now happening at a new level - strikes without prior information to employers, airports and passengers. Obviously in order to inflict the greatest possible damage on everyone involved," BDLS President Alexander Borgschulze said.
Eurowings boss Jens Bischof called for a political discussion on new rules for strikes in critical infrastructure, arguing that the right to strike in Germany is linked to a requirement of proportionality that "trade unions are now disregarding."
"As if the reputation of a once flourishing economic nation wasn't already at stake, strikes are increasingly being staged as an entertaining stage play for the media - and abused accordingly," he said in a post on LinkedIn.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck called for swift solutions. "My personal and political understanding has now really come to an end. I think a solution has to be found quickly," he said during a visit to Washington.
"Finding a solution means that everyone is now obliged not to put their interests at the expense of the population, the economy and economic recovery."
