Multiple Affected as Turbulence Strikes A Delta Airlines Flight Landing at Sydney, Australia

Several people were hurt when a Delta jet traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia encountered rough air this past Friday.

Flight DL41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson stated. Four flight attendants were injured.

Emergency medical services stated they treated five patients, and transferred three of them to hospital with minor injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and head pain. Those affected ranged from their thirties and seventies.

The event represents the newest example of aircraft experiencing atmospheric disturbance, with researchers pointing out that global warming is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the official added, adding that the plane landed "safely and normally" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday.

The NSW Ambulance Service reported they were alerted just three minutes ahead of the plane arrived, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and more severe.

In the previous year, two dozen individuals were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "considerable" rough air just 120 minutes into the long-haul flight, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a harrowing brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. One passenger passed away and dozens were injured, as individuals not fastened in were thrown from their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while instances of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are an estimated five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a total of more than 35 million flights that are conducted globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the up and down movements of a plane passing through rough air masses generate in excess of 1.5g-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As global warming shifts weather patterns, specialists caution that commercial aviation could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are likely to boost the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.