A Number of Affected as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes Delta Plane Landing at Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals sustained injuries when a Delta aircraft traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia encountered turbulence on Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier told. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.

Local paramedics stated they treated five patients, and took three to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that included spinal discomfort and headaches. The injured were between their 30s to 70s.

It is the newest example of aircraft being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists pointing out that climate change is a significant contributor.

There were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson said, stating that the plane touched down "without further incident" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

Paramedics said they got a call just a mere three minutes ahead of the plane landed, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming increasingly prevalent - and often stronger.

Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew sustained injuries when a separate Delta aircraft, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "significant" rough air just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and had to make an unscheduled landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a frightening five seconds bout of severe turbulence. An individual passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a total of over 35 million journeys that are conducted globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the vertical motions of a plane experiencing unstable air apply in excess of a significant G-force on your body - enough to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As global warming alters atmospheric conditions, researchers alert that commercial aviation could become less smooth: temperature changes and altered air currents in the jet stream level are likely to heighten the regularity and severity of dangerous in-flight bumps.