Multiple Injured as Rough Air Hits A Delta Airlines Plane Landing at Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew have been injured when a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Sydney experienced rough air on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Several cabin crew members required medical attention.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service stated they assessed a total of five people, and transferred three of them to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised back pain and headaches. The injured ranged from their 30s to 70s.

It is the newest example of aircraft encountering turbulence, with aviation specialists saying that climate change is a key driver.

There were 245 people and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the representative added, stating that the plane landed "safely" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

Emergency responders said they received a call just a mere three minutes before the plane landed, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is getting more common - and potentially more dangerous.

In the previous year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when a separate Delta aircraft, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, hit "considerable" rough air just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines flight went through a harrowing short but intense of severe turbulence. One passenger died and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is a common occurrence while flying, and while instances of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are statistically infrequent.

Research indicates that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million journeys that now take off globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the vertical motions of a jet experiencing disturbed air generate more than a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a restraint.

As climate change modifies atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to heighten the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.