Multiple Injured as Turbulence Hits A Delta Airlines Flight Arriving in Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals have been injured after a Delta flight originating in Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia experienced significant turbulence this past Friday.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a company official told. A number of the onboard staff sustained injuries.

Local paramedics stated they assessed a total of five people, and transported three of them to a medical facility with minor injuries that included pain in the back and head pain. Those affected spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the most recent case of commercial jets being hit by severe turbulence, with aviation specialists indicating that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.

There were 245 people and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson noted, stating that the plane arrived "safely" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday.

Emergency responders said they received a call just three minutes before the plane arrived, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

Why plane turbulence is getting more common - and more severe.

In the previous year, 25 people were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.

Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a terrifying brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. An individual passed away and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and crashed back down.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence seem to be rising, they are remained quite uncommon.

Estimates show that there are around five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted worldwide.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is described as when the vertical motions of a plane going through unstable air generate in excess of a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As a changing climate modifies weather patterns, specialists caution that commercial aviation could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.