A Number of Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts A Delta Airlines Plane Landing at Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals have been injured following a Delta flight from LA to Sydney was hit by rough air Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier stated. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they evaluated five patients, and took three to hospital with minor injuries that such as pain in the back and head pain. Those affected ranged from their thirties and seventies.

The event represents the most recent case of aircraft being hit by severe turbulence, with researchers pointing out that global warming is a significant contributor.

There were 245 people and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the official added, clarifying that the plane landed "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they received a call just three minutes before the plane arrived, and response teams were standing by on the runway.

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

Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "considerable" rough air just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and had to make an unscheduled landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a frightening short but intense period of extreme instability. One passenger passed away and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and crashed back down.

Bumpy air is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while cases of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence each year, out of a overall number of more than 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted globally.

Intense turbulence is defined as when the vertical motions of a aircraft going through rough air masses exert greater 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 a changing climate alters the conditions in the sky, specialists caution that commercial aviation could become bumpier: warming trends and altered air currents in the jet stream level are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.