Several Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Hits Delta Aircraft Landing at Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew were hurt after a Delta aircraft from LA to Sydney, Australia experienced rough air on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a company official told. Four flight attendants were injured.

Local paramedics stated they evaluated five patients, and took a trio to a medical facility with minor injuries that such as pain in the back and headaches. The patients' ages spanned from their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the most recent case of commercial jets being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with researchers indicating that climate change is a significant contributor.

On board were 245 people and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the representative noted, clarifying that the plane arrived "safely" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday.

Emergency responders reported they received a call just three minutes prior to the plane arrived, and response teams were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and potentially more dangerous.

During the past year, 25 people were injured when a separate Delta aircraft, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "significant" rough air just two hours into the lengthy trip, and had to make an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a terrifying brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. A traveler lost their life and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence during flights, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Data suggests that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million journeys that are conducted worldwide.

Severe turbulence is categorized as when the up and down movements of a plane passing through rough air masses exert in excess of 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As a changing climate alters the conditions in the sky, specialists caution that air travel could become more turbulent: temperature changes and changing jet streams in the higher altitudes are projected to heighten the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.