A Number of Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts Delta Aircraft Arriving in Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals sustained injuries after a Delta flight originating in LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by significant turbulence this past Friday.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a company official told. A number of the onboard staff were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they treated five individuals, and transported a trio to hospital with relatively minor issues that such as back pain and migraines. Those affected spanned from their thirties and seventies.

It is the latest incident of commercial jets being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists saying that climate change is a significant contributor.

There were 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the representative added, clarifying that the plane touched down "without further incident" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on the day in question.

Paramedics reported they received a call just three minutes ahead of the plane touched down, and ambulances were waiting on the tarmac.

The reasons turbulence is becoming more common - and often stronger.

Last year, 25 people were injured when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "considerable" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet went through a terrifying brief five-second of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and fell back down.

Turbulence is a common occurrence during flights, and while instances of significant turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are statistically infrequent.

Research indicates that there are an estimated five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence each year, out of a total of more than 35 million flights that now take off globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is described as when the up and down movements of a plane passing through disturbed air generate greater than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to throw you from your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.

As global warming modifies weather patterns, experts warn that flying could become less smooth: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are projected to increase the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.