Several Hurt as Turbulence Hits A Delta Airlines Aircraft Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew have been injured when a Delta Airlines flight from LA to Sydney encountered turbulence this past Friday.

Flight DL41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier told. Four flight attendants were injured.

Emergency medical services stated they assessed five patients, and transported three of them to hospital with minor injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and head pain. The injured spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the latest incident of commercial jets being hit by severe turbulence, with researchers pointing out that global warming is a significant contributor.

The aircraft was carrying 245 people and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the official noted, adding that the plane arrived "safely" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders reported they received a call just a mere three minutes before the plane arrived, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming more common - and often stronger.

In the previous year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "severe" rough air just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a certain international flight went through a harrowing short but intense bout of severe turbulence. A traveler passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in were thrown from their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is fairly routine during flights, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are statistically infrequent.

Research indicates that there are around 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence every year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million flights that now take off globally.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a aircraft passing through rough air masses apply greater than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - a strong enough force to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a restraint.

As climate change shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that flying could become bumpier: warming trends and altered air currents in the higher altitudes are expected to boost the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.