A Number of Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes A Delta Airlines Aircraft Landing at Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries after a Delta aircraft originating in Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia experienced rough air on Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson stated. Several cabin crew members were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they assessed five individuals, and transferred three of them to a medical facility with minor injuries that comprised back pain and head pain. The injured ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

This marks the newest example of planes being hit by severe turbulence, with researchers indicating that climate change is a major factor.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the official noted, clarifying that the plane touched down "without further incident" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

Paramedics said they got a call just a mere three minutes before the plane arrived, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

The reasons turbulence is getting increasingly prevalent - and potentially more dangerous.

During the past year, twenty-five passengers and crew sustained injuries when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, hit "considerable" turbulence just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and had to make an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a frightening short but intense period of extreme instability. A traveler died and numerous people sustained injuries, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.

Bumpy air is fairly routine during flights, and while instances of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are an estimated five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a total of over 35 million flights that currently occur worldwide.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a jet experiencing disturbed air apply more than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a seatbelt.

As global warming alters the conditions in the sky, experts warn that flying could become more turbulent: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are projected to heighten the occurrence and strength of significant turbulence.