Several Hurt as Turbulence Impacts Delta Plane into Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals sustained injuries following a Delta aircraft originating in LA to Sydney, Australia encountered rough air this past Friday.

Flight DL41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson informed. Four flight attendants were injured.

Emergency medical services said they treated five individuals, and took three to hospital with minor injuries that included pain in the back and head pain. Those affected spanned from their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the newest example of planes experiencing turbulence, with aviation specialists saying that global warming is a key driver.

On board were 245 people and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the representative noted, clarifying that the plane landed "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on the day in question.

Emergency responders reported they received a call just only 180 seconds ahead of the plane landed, and emergency vehicles were waiting on the tarmac.

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

Last year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "significant" turbulence just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a harrowing brief five-second of severe turbulence. An individual died and numerous people sustained injuries, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and crashed back down.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence while flying, and while cases of significant turbulence appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Estimates show that there are around 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence every year, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million journeys that currently occur globally.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the vertical motions of a plane passing through disturbed air exert greater than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to lift you out of your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As a changing climate shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that flying could become bumpier: temperature changes and altered air currents in the upper atmosphere are projected to increase the occurrence and strength of severe turbulence.