Several Hurt as Rough Air Hits A Delta Airlines Plane Landing at Sydney

Several people sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney was hit by turbulence Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a company official stated. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they assessed a total of five people, and transported three of them to the hospital with relatively minor issues that comprised back pain and migraines. The injured were between their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the newest example of commercial jets experiencing turbulence, with experts pointing out that climate change is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying 245 people and fifteen staff members on the aircraft, the representative said, stating that the plane touched down "without further incident" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service said they were alerted just only 180 seconds before the plane arrived, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

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

Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew were injured when another Delta jet, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, encountered "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a harrowing brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. A traveler lost their life and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and were slammed back.

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

Estimates show that there are around five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a total of more than 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur globally.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a aircraft passing through rough air masses generate greater than a significant G-force on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a seatbelt.

As a changing climate modifies atmospheric conditions, researchers alert that air travel could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and altered air currents in the jet stream level are projected to boost the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.