Several Affected as Rough Air Impacts Delta Aircraft Arriving in Sydney

Several people sustained injuries following a Delta aircraft traveling from LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by turbulence this past Friday.

Flight DL41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier stated. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they evaluated five individuals, and transferred three of them to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and headaches. The patients' ages ranged from their thirties and seventies.

It is the newest example of aircraft experiencing turbulence, with aviation specialists pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.

The aircraft was carrying 245 people and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the representative noted, stating that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

Paramedics indicated they were alerted just three minutes prior to the plane arrived, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and potentially more dangerous.

Last year, 25 people sustained injuries when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, encountered "severe" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight went through a terrifying five seconds period of extreme instability. A traveler passed away and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence during flights, and while cases of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Estimates show that there are an estimated five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence every year, out of a overall number of more than 35 million flights that currently occur globally.

Intense turbulence is defined as when the vertical motions of a aircraft passing through unstable air exert more than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a restraint.

As global warming shifts the conditions in the sky, specialists caution that flying could become bumpier: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are projected to boost the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.