A dramatic and unprecedented surge in hoax bomb threats targeting Indian airlines is wreaking havoc on flight schedules, diverting planes and causing widespread disruptions.

The Star Air flight from Punjab had landed in UP at 2.20 pm and took off around 6.30 pm after a four-hour delay.

Safety and security are of utmost importance in aviation, which is why even seemingly non-credible threats from anonymous or unverified social media accounts can significantly disrupt flight operations.