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

A number of individuals were hurt following a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia experienced significant turbulence on Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier told. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

Emergency medical services reported they treated a total of five people, and transported three to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and migraines. The patients' ages spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the latest incident of commercial jets experiencing severe turbulence, with researchers saying that climate change is a key driver.

There were 245 people and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the official said, adding that the plane landed "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Paramedics reported they were alerted just three minutes prior to the plane landed, and ambulances were waiting on the tarmac.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming more frequent - and often stronger.

During the past year, two dozen individuals were injured when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, encountered "considerable" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the lengthy trip, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a frightening five seconds of severe turbulence. One passenger died and many were hurt, as individuals not fastened in were thrown from their seats and were slammed back.

Bumpy air is not uncommon while flying, and while cases of rough conditions seem to be rising, they are statistically infrequent.

Data suggests that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence each year, out of a total of more than 35 million flights that are conducted around the world.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the up and down movements of a plane experiencing disturbed air exert in excess of 1.5g-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a seatbelt.

As climate change alters 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 projected to heighten the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.