Multiple Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts Delta Flight Landing at Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in Los Angeles to Sydney was hit by rough air on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

Local paramedics stated they evaluated five patients, and took a trio to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries that such as spinal discomfort and headaches. The injured ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

This marks the newest example of planes being hit by severe turbulence, with researchers saying that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.

On board were 245 people and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the representative said, clarifying that the plane arrived "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Paramedics indicated they got a call just only 180 seconds before the plane landed, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming more frequent - and more severe.

In the previous year, 25 people were injured when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, encountered "considerable" rough air just two hours into the long-haul flight, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a certain international flight experienced a frightening five seconds of severe turbulence. A traveler died and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is not uncommon while flying, and while instances of significant turbulence appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Data suggests that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence each year, out of a overall number of over 35 million flights that currently occur globally.

Severe turbulence is described as when the sudden jolts of a jet passing through unstable air apply more than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a seatbelt.

As a changing climate alters weather patterns, researchers alert that air travel could become less smooth: temperature changes and changing jet streams in the jet stream level are likely to boost the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.