Several Hurt as Turbulence Hits Delta Flight Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Several people were hurt following a Delta flight traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney was hit by turbulence Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson stated. Several cabin crew members were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service stated they assessed five individuals, and transferred a trio to hospital with relatively minor issues that included back pain and headaches. Those affected ranged from their 30s to 70s.

This marks the most recent case of aircraft being hit by turbulence, with aviation specialists pointing out that climate change is a major factor.

There were 245 people and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the official added, stating that the plane touched down "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

Emergency responders indicated they were alerted just three minutes prior to the plane landed, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why in-flight bumpiness is getting increasingly prevalent - and potentially more dangerous.

During the past year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when another Delta jet, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, hit "severe" rough air just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a certain international flight endured a terrifying short but intense of severe turbulence. A traveler died and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and fell back down.

Bumpy air is fairly routine on aircraft journeys, and while instances of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Estimates show that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence each year, out of a overall number of over 35 million flights that are conducted around the world.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the vertical motions of a aircraft experiencing rough air masses apply in excess of a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a seatbelt.

As a changing climate modifies weather patterns, experts warn that flying could become bumpier: warming trends and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the regularity and severity of severe turbulence.