Multiple Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts Delta Flight Landing at Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia encountered rough air this past Friday.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Emergency medical services stated they treated a total of five people, and transferred three to the hospital with relatively minor issues that such as back pain and migraines. Those affected ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the latest incident of commercial jets being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists indicating that global warming is a significant contributor.

There were nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the wide-body jet, the official added, adding that the plane landed "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they got a call just only 180 seconds prior to the plane touched down, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is growing more common - and often stronger.

Last year, 25 people were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "considerable" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a terrifying brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. A traveler passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as those without seatbelts lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

Bumpy air 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 worse turbulence each year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million flights that currently occur around the world.

Intense turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a jet passing through unstable air generate in excess of 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - sufficient force to lift you out of your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.

As climate change modifies the conditions in the sky, specialists caution that air travel could become less smooth: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the jet stream level are likely to boost the occurrence and strength of significant turbulence.