Nigeria’s largest local carrier, Arik Air, Thursday morning announced that it is suspending all its domestic operations indefinitely over the “persistent hostility of the Ministry of Aviation and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) management.”

Arik airs claim of suspending its local operations differ from reports that the airline was officially shut by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, over an N18 billion debt the airline owes the aviation authority.

Thousands of passengers across Nigeria are already stranded at Nigeria’s airports where Arik operated from, particularly the Lagos, Abuja, and Port-Harcourt airports.