Several Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts Delta Plane Landing at Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia was hit by significant turbulence Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it made its approach and landed at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier told. Four flight attendants were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they treated five individuals, and took three to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and head pain. The patients' ages spanned from their 30s to 70s.

This marks the latest incident of aircraft experiencing severe turbulence, with researchers saying that climate change is a significant contributor.

The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson noted, stating that the plane arrived "safely" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on the day in question.

The NSW Ambulance Service reported they were alerted just three minutes prior to the plane touched down, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is growing more frequent - and more severe.

In the previous year, two dozen individuals were injured when another Delta jet, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, encountered "significant" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a certain international flight went through a terrifying brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. An individual died and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and fell back down.

Bumpy air is a common occurrence while flying, and while instances of significant turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are approximately thousands of instances of severe or worse turbulence each year, out of a sum of over 35 million journeys that now take off around the world.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is described as when the up and down movements of a jet going through unstable air generate in excess of 1.5g-force on your body - a strong enough force to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As climate change alters the conditions in the sky, specialists caution that commercial aviation could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and altered air currents in the higher altitudes are projected to increase the regularity and severity of severe turbulence.