Multiple Injured as Rough Air Strikes Delta Plane Arriving in Sydney

Several people have been injured following a Delta jet originating in Los Angeles to Sydney was hit by significant turbulence Friday morning.

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

Emergency medical services said they assessed five patients, and transferred three to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised pain in the back and headaches. Those affected spanned from their 30s to 70s.

It is the newest example of planes being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with experts indicating that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.

There were 245 people and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the representative added, clarifying that the plane touched down "safely and normally" 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 ahead of the plane touched down, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

The reasons turbulence is becoming more common - and often stronger.

Last year, two dozen individuals were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet went through a frightening five seconds of severe turbulence. An individual lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while instances of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.

Estimates show that there are approximately thousands of instances of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a total of in excess of 35 million journeys that now take off around the world.

Severe turbulence is described as when the sudden jolts of a jet passing through rough air masses apply in excess of a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a seatbelt.

As a changing climate alters atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that air travel could become less smooth: warming trends and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are expected to boost the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.