A Number of Hurt as Turbulence Strikes A Delta Airlines Flight Arriving in Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals were hurt after a Delta Airlines flight originating in Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia experienced turbulence on Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson stated. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

Emergency medical services reported they treated five patients, and took three to the hospital with relatively minor issues that such as back pain and headaches. Those affected ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the latest incident of commercial jets being hit by turbulence, with aviation specialists pointing out that climate change is a significant contributor.

There were 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the representative added, clarifying that the plane arrived "safely" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday.

Emergency responders said they got a call just three minutes ahead of the plane arrived, and emergency vehicles were ready and waiting at the airport.

The reasons turbulence is becoming more common - and potentially more dangerous.

During the past year, two dozen individuals were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, encountered "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the long-haul flight, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a harrowing short but intense bout of severe turbulence. A traveler passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a total of over 35 million journeys that currently occur globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the sudden jolts of a plane passing through disturbed air generate greater than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a restraint.

As a changing climate alters weather patterns, specialists caution that air travel could become less smooth: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are expected to boost the regularity and severity of severe turbulence.