Several Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes Delta Plane into Sydney

Several people were hurt when a Delta jet originating in LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by turbulence this past Friday.

Delta Flight 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it made its approach and landed at Sydney Airport, a company official stated. A number of the onboard staff were injured.

Local paramedics stated they assessed a total of five people, and transported three of them to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised back pain and headaches. Those affected ranged from their 30s to 70s.

It is the newest example of planes being hit by turbulence, with experts indicating that global warming is a key driver.

There were 245 people and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the official noted, adding that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders said they were alerted just a mere three minutes prior to the plane arrived, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why in-flight bumpiness is growing more frequent - and more severe.

Last year, 25 people were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "significant" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a frightening five seconds bout of severe turbulence. An individual lost their life and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

Bumpy air is fairly routine during flights, and while occurrences of significant turbulence appear to be increasing, they are remained quite uncommon.

Research indicates that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a sum of over 35 million aircraft departures that now take off around the world.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the sudden jolts of a jet experiencing rough air masses apply more than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a seatbelt.

As a changing climate modifies atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are likely to boost the occurrence and strength of severe turbulence.