A Number of Injured as Turbulence Impacts Delta Flight Landing at Sydney, Australia

Several people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in Los Angeles to Sydney was hit by 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. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Local paramedics stated they evaluated a total of five people, and took three to hospital with minor injuries that such as spinal discomfort and head pain. The patients' ages spanned from their 30s to 70s.

This marks the newest example of aircraft being hit by turbulence, with experts pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the official said, adding that the plane arrived "safely" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service said they received a call just three minutes prior to the plane arrived, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.

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

During the past year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, experienced "considerable" turbulence just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a frightening brief five-second of severe turbulence. A traveler died and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.

Bumpy air is fairly routine on aircraft journeys, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are around five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence each year, out of a total of more than 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur globally.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the sudden jolts of a jet going through unstable air apply more than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.

As global warming modifies weather patterns, experts warn that commercial aviation could become bumpier: warming trends and changing jet streams in the jet stream level are expected to increase the regularity and severity of severe turbulence.