Multiple Affected as In-Flight Disturbance Hits Delta Flight into Sydney

A number of individuals sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines flight traveling from LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by significant turbulence this past Friday.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Several cabin crew members required medical attention.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they treated five patients, and took a trio to hospital with minor injuries that such as back pain and migraines. The injured were between their thirties and seventies.

It is the newest example of commercial jets being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with experts saying that global warming is a major factor.

On board were 245 passengers and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson noted, adding that the plane landed "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on the day in question.

The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they received a call just only 180 seconds ahead of the plane arrived, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

The reasons turbulence is getting increasingly prevalent - and often stronger.

In the previous year, two dozen individuals were injured when a separate Delta aircraft, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "severe" turbulence just a couple of hours into the long-haul flight, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a harrowing short but intense of severe turbulence. An individual lost their life and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and fell back down.

Bumpy air is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are an estimated five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence every year, out of a total of over 35 million flights that are conducted worldwide.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a aircraft going through unstable air generate more than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As climate change shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that flying could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.