Multiple Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts Delta Aircraft Arriving in Sydney

A number of individuals were hurt following a Delta flight traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney was hit by turbulence on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier told. Four flight attendants were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they treated five patients, and transferred three to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that included back pain and migraines. Those affected were between their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the newest example of planes encountering severe turbulence, with aviation specialists saying that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

On board were 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson added, adding that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday.

The NSW Ambulance Service reported they got a call just a mere three minutes prior to the plane touched down, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

The reasons turbulence is becoming more frequent - and often stronger.

Last year, two dozen individuals were hurt when another Delta jet, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, experienced "significant" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the long-haul flight, and had to make an emergency landing.

Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a harrowing five seconds of severe turbulence. One passenger died and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while instances of significant turbulence appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Estimates show that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence each year, out of a overall number of over 35 million journeys that now take off globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the vertical motions of a aircraft experiencing unstable air apply greater than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - sufficient force to lift you out of your seat if you did not have on a seatbelt.

As global warming alters weather patterns, experts warn that flying could become less smooth: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the jet stream level are projected to heighten the occurrence and strength of severe turbulence.