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Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest airline, has reportedly suspended its flight service to the John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York. The temporary suspension is in order to conduct scheduled maintenance checks on its aircrafts, according to a Punch report on Thursday.

The airline reportedly suspended its New York flight service from February 4th as the two Airbus A330-200 aircrafts dedicated to the route were taken to Europe for a scheduled C check. The flight service is expected to be resumed on February 18th when the aircrafts are due to return to Nigeria.

A C check is one of the most rigorous aircraft maintenance checks, requiring the inspection of most of an aircraft’s components. The check is often performed every 20 to 24 months. Arik Air has a partnership with Lufthansa Technik Group, which handles the maintenance checks for most of the 28 aircrafts in the airline’s fleet.

Just like other airlines operating in Nigeria, Arik Air’s operations have been hit hard by severe shortages of aviation fuel and a lingering foreign exchange crisis. The airline has also incurred the wrath of some passengers due to frequent flight delays or cancellations on several of its domestic and international routes.

In December of last year, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) slammed a N6 million fine on the airline for flouting an order to transport the check-in luggage of passengers, who travelled with the airline from London to Lagos between December 2nd to 4th.

Founded in 2002, Arik Air flies to over 28 destinations in West Africa and operates three long-haul flights to London, Johannesburg, and New York. In October last year, the airline announced that it plans to raise up to $1 billion through a private placement this year and an initial public offering (IPO) in Lagos and London in order to add more international routes in Europe and Asia.