Multiple Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts Delta Aircraft Arriving in Sydney

Several people were hurt following a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by rough air on Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, a company official informed. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Local paramedics said they evaluated a total of five people, and transported a trio to a medical facility with relatively minor issues that such as pain in the back and head pain. The patients' ages spanned from their thirties and seventies.

It is the newest example of commercial jets experiencing atmospheric disturbance, with experts pointing out that global warming is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the official said, adding that the plane landed "without further incident" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders indicated they were alerted just only 180 seconds before the plane touched down, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming increasingly prevalent - and more severe.

During the past year, 25 people were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, encountered "significant" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a terrifying short but intense bout of severe turbulence. One passenger passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is fairly routine during flights, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are an estimated five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a total of more than 35 million journeys that currently occur worldwide.

Intense turbulence is categorized as when the vertical motions of a aircraft passing through rough air masses exert in excess of a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As a changing climate alters atmospheric conditions, researchers alert that flying could become more turbulent: temperature changes and altered air currents in the jet stream level are projected to increase the regularity and severity of severe turbulence.