A Number of Hurt as Turbulence Impacts A Delta Airlines Flight Landing at Sydney

Several people have been injured when a Delta flight from LA to Sydney, Australia encountered rough air this past Friday.

The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a company official told. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they treated a total of five people, and transported a trio to hospital with relatively minor issues that included spinal discomfort and migraines. The patients' ages were between their 30s up to the 70s.

This marks the latest incident of commercial jets encountering severe turbulence, with experts indicating that global warming is a significant contributor.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the Delta spokesperson added, clarifying that the plane arrived "safely" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday.

Paramedics reported they received a call just three minutes before the plane touched down, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is getting more common - and more severe.

During the past year, 25 people were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, encountered "severe" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the lengthy trip, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a frightening short but intense bout of severe turbulence. A traveler lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in rose out of their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is not uncommon while flying, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Data suggests that there are an estimated five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a overall number of over 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the up and down movements of a plane experiencing disturbed air apply more than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As global warming modifies atmospheric conditions, researchers alert that commercial aviation could become bumpier: temperature changes and altered air currents in the jet stream level are projected to heighten the occurrence and strength of severe turbulence.