A Number of Hurt as Turbulence Hits Delta Flight Landing at Sydney

Several people have been injured after a Delta Airlines flight from LA to Sydney experienced turbulence Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a company official stated. Several cabin crew members were injured.

Local paramedics said they assessed a total of five people, and transferred three of them to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that such as back pain and headaches. The patients' ages were between their thirties and seventies.

The event represents the most recent case of commercial jets being hit by turbulence, with aviation specialists pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

There were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the official noted, adding that the plane arrived "safely" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

The NSW Ambulance Service said they got a call just a mere three minutes before the plane arrived, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is becoming increasingly prevalent - and often stronger.

In the previous year, two dozen individuals were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "severe" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the lengthy trip, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a terrifying brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. An individual lost their life and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and fell back down.

Bumpy air is fairly routine on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence every year, out of a sum of more than 35 million flights that now take off worldwide.

Intense turbulence is categorized as when the sudden jolts of a aircraft going through rough air masses apply greater than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As climate change alters weather patterns, experts warn that flying could become more turbulent: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are projected to boost the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.