Several Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Hits A Delta Airlines Flight into Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals were hurt following a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney experienced rough air on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson informed. Four flight attendants were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they assessed five patients, and took three of them to the hospital with minor injuries that included spinal discomfort and migraines. The injured spanned from their 30s to 70s.

This marks the newest example of planes encountering severe turbulence, with researchers indicating that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

On board were 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the aircraft, the representative said, clarifying that the plane touched down "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders said they were alerted just a mere three minutes prior to the plane touched down, and emergency vehicles were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is becoming more common - and potentially more dangerous.

Last year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "considerable" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a terrifying short but intense period of extreme instability. An individual died and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

Bumpy air is not uncommon while flying, and while cases of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are statistically infrequent.

Research indicates that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million journeys that now take off worldwide.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the vertical motions of a plane going through unstable air generate in excess of 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - sufficient force to lift you out of your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As climate change alters the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that commercial aviation could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are projected to increase the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.