Multiple Hurt as Rough Air Impacts A Delta Airlines Aircraft Arriving in Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew were hurt following a Delta Airlines flight originating in LA to Sydney was hit by rough air this past Friday.

Delta Flight 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a company official stated. Several cabin crew members were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service stated they assessed five individuals, and transferred three to hospital with minor injuries that such as spinal discomfort and migraines. Those affected ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

This marks the latest incident of aircraft being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists saying that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.

There were 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the Delta spokesperson said, clarifying that the plane landed "without further incident" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

Paramedics reported they got a call just a mere three minutes ahead of the plane arrived, and emergency vehicles were ready and waiting at the airport.

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

Last year, 25 people were injured when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, encountered "severe" rough air just a couple of hours into the lengthy trip, and was forced to make an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet went through a terrifying short but intense period of extreme instability. One passenger passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is not uncommon while flying, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are statistically infrequent.

Data suggests that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence every year, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million journeys that currently occur around the world.

Intense turbulence is described as when the vertical motions of a aircraft experiencing rough air masses exert more than a significant G-force on your body - enough to lift you out of your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As climate change modifies atmospheric conditions, researchers alert that flying could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the higher altitudes are likely to heighten the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.