A Number of Injured as Turbulence Strikes Delta Flight Landing at Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew have been injured after a Delta Airlines aircraft traveling from LA to Sydney, Australia encountered 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, an airline spokesperson told. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Local paramedics reported they assessed five patients, and took three to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries that such as spinal discomfort and head pain. The injured ranged from their 30s to 70s.

It is the newest example of commercial jets experiencing atmospheric disturbance, with experts indicating that global warming is a significant contributor.

On board were 245 passengers and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the official said, stating that the plane landed "safely" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

The NSW Ambulance Service reported they received a call just three minutes before the plane landed, and ambulances were waiting on the tarmac.

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

Last year, two dozen individuals were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "severe" turbulence just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines flight went through a harrowing brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

Bumpy air is not uncommon during flights, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.

Estimates show that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence each year, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the up and down movements of a aircraft experiencing rough air masses apply greater than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to lift you out of your seat if you weren't wearing a seatbelt.

As a changing climate shifts the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that air travel could become more turbulent: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.