Several Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes Delta Aircraft Arriving in Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals have been injured following a Delta aircraft from LA to Sydney encountered significant turbulence Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson told. Four flight attendants were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they evaluated five patients, and transported three of them to the hospital with minor injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and head pain. Those affected were between their thirties and seventies.

The event represents the newest example of planes being hit by severe turbulence, with aviation specialists pointing out that climate change is a major factor.

There were 245 people and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the representative noted, stating that the plane touched down "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service said they got a call just only 180 seconds ahead of the plane landed, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.

The reasons turbulence is growing more common - and more severe.

During the past year, twenty-five passengers and crew were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "significant" rough air just 120 minutes into the long-haul flight, and had to make an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a terrifying short but intense bout of severe turbulence. An individual passed away and dozens were injured, as individuals not fastened in rose out of their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is fairly routine while flying, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are around 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence every year, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur around the world.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the vertical motions of a jet passing through unstable air exert more than 1.5g-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As a changing climate modifies weather patterns, experts warn that commercial aviation could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are projected to heighten the regularity and severity of dangerous in-flight bumps.