Several Injured as Turbulence Impacts Delta Flight into Sydney

A number of individuals were hurt after a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney encountered turbulence on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they assessed five individuals, and transported three to the hospital with minor injuries that included spinal discomfort and head pain. Those affected were between their 30s up to the 70s.

This marks the most recent case of aircraft encountering turbulence, with experts saying that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.

There were 245 passengers and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the official added, clarifying that the plane arrived "safely" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on the day in question.

The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they were alerted just a mere three minutes prior to the plane landed, and response teams were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is growing increasingly prevalent - and more severe.

During the past year, two dozen individuals were injured when another Delta jet, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "considerable" rough air just 120 minutes into the long-haul flight, and had to make an unscheduled landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a harrowing brief five-second period of extreme instability. An individual passed away and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is not uncommon while flying, and while instances of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are an estimated thousands of instances of severe-or-greater turbulence every year, out of a sum of more than 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur globally.

Intense turbulence is categorized as when the vertical motions of a jet going through unstable air apply in excess of 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you did not have on a restraint.

As a changing climate alters atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that commercial aviation could become less smooth: warming trends and changing jet streams in the jet stream level are projected to increase the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.