Multiple Hurt as Turbulence Strikes A Delta Airlines Plane Arriving in Sydney

Several people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight traveling from LA to Sydney experienced turbulence Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Several cabin crew members required medical attention.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service stated they treated five patients, and transported three of them to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that such as spinal discomfort and head pain. Those affected spanned from their 30s to 70s.

This marks the latest incident of aircraft experiencing atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists saying that global warming is a key driver.

There were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the representative said, adding that the plane arrived "safely" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

Paramedics reported they received a call just a mere three minutes prior to the plane landed, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

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

In the previous year, twenty-five passengers and crew sustained injuries when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "severe" rough air just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an precautionary landing.

Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a frightening brief five-second of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and fell back down.

Bumpy air is fairly routine while flying, and while cases of significant turbulence appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Data suggests that there are approximately thousands of instances of severe or worse turbulence every year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million flights that are conducted globally.

Intense turbulence is described as when the sudden jolts of a jet experiencing rough air masses apply more than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As climate change modifies weather patterns, researchers alert that air travel could become less smooth: warming trends and changing jet streams in the jet stream level are expected to heighten the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.