Multiple Injured as Turbulence Strikes Delta Aircraft Arriving in Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew have been injured after a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney, Australia experienced significant turbulence on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier stated. A number of the onboard staff sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service stated they evaluated five individuals, and transferred three to the hospital with minor injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and headaches. Those affected ranged from their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the newest example of aircraft experiencing turbulence, with aviation specialists saying that climate change is a major factor.

On board were 245 people and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the official added, adding that the plane touched down "without further incident" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday.

Emergency responders said they were alerted just only 180 seconds before the plane landed, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

Why in-flight bumpiness is getting more common - and potentially more dangerous.

Last year, 25 people were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, experienced "significant" turbulence just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and was forced to make an emergency landing.

Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a harrowing short but intense bout of severe turbulence. A traveler passed away and dozens were injured, as individuals not fastened in lifted out of their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is a common occurrence during flights, and while cases of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence annually, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million flights that currently occur worldwide.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the sudden jolts of a plane going through disturbed air generate greater than a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As global warming shifts atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that flying could become bumpier: warming trends and altered air currents in the upper atmosphere are likely to boost the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.