Multiple Hurt as Turbulence Strikes Delta Plane Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew were hurt following a Delta flight from LA to Sydney, Australia experienced significant turbulence Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a company official stated. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service stated they assessed five individuals, and transferred a trio to hospital with relatively minor issues that included pain in the back and migraines. The patients' ages ranged from their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the latest incident of aircraft encountering atmospheric disturbance, with experts pointing out that climate change is a major factor.

On board were nearly 250 travelers and fifteen staff members on the wide-body jet, the Delta spokesperson added, stating that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service reported they got a call just three minutes prior to the plane arrived, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is growing more common - and often stronger.

In the previous year, two dozen individuals were hurt when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "significant" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a certain international flight experienced a harrowing brief five-second of severe turbulence. An individual passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while instances of rough conditions seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Data suggests that there are an estimated thousands of instances of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a total of over 35 million journeys that are conducted around the world.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the up and down movements of a plane experiencing disturbed air generate more than a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a restraint.

As global warming shifts weather patterns, researchers alert that flying could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and altered air currents in the upper atmosphere are projected to increase the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.