A Number of Injured as Turbulence Strikes Delta Plane into Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals were hurt when a Delta Airlines aircraft from Los Angeles to Sydney encountered turbulence on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a company official stated. A number of the onboard staff sustained injuries.

Local paramedics said they evaluated five individuals, and transported three to a medical facility with minor injuries that included spinal discomfort and headaches. The patients' ages were between their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the latest incident of planes experiencing atmospheric disturbance, with experts pointing out that global warming is a significant contributor.

The aircraft was carrying 245 people and 15 crew members on the wide-body jet, the official said, clarifying that the plane landed "safely and normally" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday.

The NSW Ambulance Service reported they received a call just a mere three minutes before the plane arrived, and response teams were standing by on the runway.

The reasons turbulence is growing more frequent - and often stronger.

Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew were injured when another Delta jet, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a frightening short but intense bout of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as those without seatbelts lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence seem to be rising, they are remained quite uncommon.

Estimates show that there are around 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence every year, out of a overall number of over 35 million flights that currently occur worldwide.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the vertical motions of a aircraft experiencing unstable air generate more than 1.5g-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a seatbelt.

As climate change alters weather patterns, researchers alert that flying could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the jet stream level are projected to boost the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.