Several Affected as Rough Air Impacts Delta Flight Landing at Sydney

A number of individuals were hurt after a Delta jet traveling from LA to Sydney, Australia encountered significant turbulence Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Several cabin crew members were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they assessed five patients, and took three to the hospital with relatively minor issues that included pain in the back and head pain. Those affected ranged from their thirties and seventies.

The event represents the newest example of planes encountering turbulence, with aviation specialists indicating that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the Delta spokesperson added, stating that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

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

Why in-flight bumpiness is growing increasingly prevalent - and potentially more dangerous.

During the past year, two dozen individuals were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "severe" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet went through a frightening five seconds period of extreme instability. A traveler died and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in were thrown from their seats and fell back down.

Turbulence is not uncommon during flights, and while instances of rough conditions seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Data suggests that there are around five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence every year, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted worldwide.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the up and down movements of a jet passing through rough air masses generate greater than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - a strong enough force to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As a changing climate shifts the conditions in the sky, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.