Multiple Injured as Turbulence Impacts Delta Aircraft Arriving in Sydney

Several people sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines aircraft from LA to Sydney experienced rough air on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson told. A number of the onboard staff sustained injuries.

Emergency medical services stated they treated a total of five people, and took a trio to hospital with minor injuries that included spinal discomfort and headaches. Those affected were between their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the newest example of planes being hit by severe turbulence, with aviation specialists indicating that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

There were 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the official said, adding that the plane arrived "without further incident" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

Paramedics reported they were alerted just three minutes prior to the plane arrived, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

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

During the past year, twenty-five passengers and crew were injured when another Delta jet, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "severe" turbulence just two hours into the lengthy trip, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a harrowing five seconds bout of severe turbulence. One passenger passed away and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is not uncommon during flights, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are statistically infrequent.

Data suggests that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million flights that currently occur around the world.

Intense turbulence is described as when the sudden jolts of a aircraft going through rough air masses apply greater than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to lift you out of your seat if you weren't wearing a seatbelt.

As global warming shifts weather patterns, researchers alert that commercial aviation could become less smooth: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are likely to heighten the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.