Multiple Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes A Delta Airlines Plane Arriving in Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew have been injured when a Delta flight traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia encountered turbulence on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson informed. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they treated five patients, and transferred a trio to hospital with minor injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and head pain. The injured spanned from their thirties and seventies.

It is the latest incident of commercial jets encountering turbulence, with aviation specialists saying that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.

There were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the Delta spokesperson said, stating that the plane arrived "safely" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on the day in question.

Emergency responders reported they got a call just three minutes ahead of the plane landed, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

The reasons turbulence is becoming increasingly prevalent - and more severe.

During the past year, 25 people sustained injuries when another Delta jet, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, encountered "considerable" rough air just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a certain international flight endured a terrifying five seconds bout of severe turbulence. A traveler died and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is fairly routine while flying, and while cases of significant turbulence appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Research indicates that there are an estimated thousands of instances of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a total of over 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur around the world.

Intense turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a plane going through disturbed air apply greater than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As climate change alters weather patterns, experts warn that flying could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the higher altitudes are likely to increase the regularity and severity of dangerous in-flight bumps.