A Number of Hurt as Turbulence Strikes Delta Flight Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Several people sustained injuries after a Delta aircraft from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia encountered turbulence this past Friday.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier informed. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they treated a total of five people, and transferred three of them to hospital with minor injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and headaches. The injured spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the newest example of planes experiencing severe turbulence, with aviation specialists saying that climate change is a key driver.

There were 245 people and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the representative said, adding that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they received a call just three minutes prior to the plane landed, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is growing more common - and often stronger.

Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when another Delta jet, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "severe" rough air just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and diverted for an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a terrifying brief five-second of severe turbulence. An individual died and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and crashed back down.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence while flying, and while occurrences of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are around five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence each year, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million journeys that are conducted worldwide.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the up and down movements of a plane going through disturbed air apply more than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to throw you from your seat if you did not have on a seatbelt.

As a changing climate modifies atmospheric conditions, experts warn that flying could become less smooth: temperature changes and altered air currents in the jet stream level are expected to increase the regularity and severity of dangerous in-flight bumps.