A Number of Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes Delta Flight into Sydney

Several people have been injured after a Delta Airlines aircraft from Los Angeles to Sydney was hit by rough air this past Friday.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a company official told. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

Local paramedics reported they assessed a total of five people, and transported a trio to hospital with relatively minor issues that included back pain and head pain. The injured spanned from their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the latest incident of planes being hit by severe turbulence, with researchers pointing out that global warming is a key driver.

On board were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson said, adding that the plane landed "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on the day in question.

Emergency responders said they received a call just a mere three minutes before the plane landed, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.

The reasons turbulence is getting more frequent - and often stronger.

Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "significant" rough air just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines flight went through a terrifying brief five-second period of extreme instability. One passenger died and dozens were injured, as individuals not fastened in rose out of their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is fairly routine during flights, and while instances of rough conditions seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence each year, out of a total of over 35 million flights that are conducted globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is described as when the vertical motions of a jet passing through unstable air generate greater than a significant G-force on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a restraint.

As a changing climate shifts weather patterns, experts warn that flying could become less smooth: warming trends and changing jet streams in the higher altitudes are likely to heighten the occurrence and strength of significant turbulence.