Several Hurt as Turbulence Hits Delta Aircraft into Sydney

A number of individuals sustained injuries after a Delta Airlines aircraft traveling from LA to Sydney, Australia encountered rough air Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they assessed a total of five people, and transported three to hospital with relatively minor issues that included back pain and migraines. Those affected were between their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the most recent case of aircraft being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with experts indicating that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the representative noted, clarifying that the plane landed "safely" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

The NSW Ambulance Service said they were alerted just three minutes ahead of the plane touched down, and emergency vehicles were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is growing more common - and potentially more dangerous.

In the previous year, 25 people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, experienced "severe" rough air just a couple of hours into the lengthy trip, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a certain international flight experienced a terrifying brief five-second period of extreme instability. One passenger died and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

Bumpy air is a common occurrence during flights, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a total of in excess of 35 million flights that currently occur around the world.

Severe turbulence is described as when the up and down movements of a plane passing through rough air masses apply in excess of 1.5g-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As global warming shifts the conditions in the sky, specialists caution that commercial aviation could become bumpier: warming trends and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are projected to increase the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.