A Number of Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Hits Delta Plane Landing at Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew were hurt when a Delta flight originating in LA to Sydney experienced turbulence on Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier stated. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they assessed a total of five people, and transported three to the hospital with relatively minor issues that such as back pain and head pain. The injured were between their thirties and seventies.

This marks the most recent case of commercial jets being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with experts saying that climate change is a key driver.

There were 245 people and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the representative noted, adding that the plane landed "safely" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday.

The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they got a call just only 180 seconds before the plane landed, and response teams were standing by on the runway.

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

Last year, 25 people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "significant" turbulence just a couple of hours into the lengthy trip, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a terrifying short but intense bout of severe turbulence. One passenger passed away and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is a common occurrence during flights, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Estimates show that there are around five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a sum of more than 35 million journeys that currently occur worldwide.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the vertical motions of a plane going through rough air masses generate greater than a significant G-force on your body - enough to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As climate change shifts atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that air travel could become less smooth: warming trends and altered air currents in the upper atmosphere are likely to heighten the occurrence and strength of significant turbulence.