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Three aviation unions have disrupted the operations of Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest airline, in Lagos on Tuesday, leaving the airline’s passengers stranded across the country.

The unions – the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, National Union of Air Transport Employees, and Air Traffic Senior Staff Association of Nigeria – said they have embarked on an indefinite strike because of the failure of Arik Air to pay its workers seven months salary arrears.

“We have shut down Arik Airlines operations, due to non-payment of seven months salary and non- remittance of workers’ taxes to relevant agencies,” the unions said. “The office will remain shut until the end of the year, unless the management reaches a compromise with our union on the anti-labour issues.”

But Arik Air has denied the allegations claiming that the unions are protesting the continued non-unionization of the airline’s staff. The airline, however, made no comment about the non-payment of its staff.

“The unions have demonstrated total disregard for the laws of Federal Republic of Nigeria by interfering in the operations of the airline and preventing airline staff from carrying on with their duties of handling the passengers booked for today’s flights,” the airline said. “The decision not to join the aviation unions is that of the generality of Arik Air and the management of the airline is not involved in any manner and neither can it influence such individual decisions in any form since Unionism is a free will and not a matter of compulsion.”

The Nigerian aviation industry has been hit hard by fuel shortages as well as the country’s lingering foreign exchange crisis, which restricted FX to conduct regular maintenance checks on aircrafts and caused a spike in the prices of aviation fuel. Two Nigerian carriers – Aero Contractors and First Nation Airways (which has resumed operations) – had to suspend their operations due to the harsh operating environment.

Earlier in October, Arik Air announced that it plans to raise up to $1 billion through a private placement next year and an initial public offering (IPO) in Lagos and London in order to add more international routes in Europe and Asia. Founded in 2002, Arik Air flies to over 100 destinations including New York, London and Johannesburg. The Nigerian carrier currently has 28 aircraft in its fleet.