Several Affected as Turbulence Strikes A Delta Airlines Flight Arriving in Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Sydney was hit by significant turbulence Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier stated. Several cabin crew members were injured.

Local paramedics said they treated five patients, and transferred a trio to a medical facility with minor injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and migraines. The patients' ages spanned from their thirties and seventies.

The event represents the newest example of aircraft being hit by turbulence, with aviation specialists saying that global warming is a major factor.

There were 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the wide-body jet, the Delta spokesperson said, adding that the plane touched down "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders said they were alerted just three minutes prior to the plane landed, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

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

In the previous year, twenty-five passengers and crew sustained injuries when a separate Delta aircraft, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "considerable" turbulence just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a frightening five seconds of severe turbulence. An individual passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence during flights, and while occurrences of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are an estimated five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence every year, out of a overall number of over 35 million journeys that now take off worldwide.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a jet going through disturbed air apply in excess of 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - enough to lift you out of your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.

As a changing climate alters weather patterns, experts warn that commercial aviation could become bumpier: temperature changes and changing jet streams in the jet stream level are projected to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.