Multiple Injured as Rough Air Strikes A Delta Airlines Flight into Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew have been injured after a Delta jet traveling from LA to Sydney encountered significant turbulence this past Friday.

Delta Flight 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson told. Several cabin crew members were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they assessed a total of five people, and transferred three to hospital with relatively minor issues that comprised pain in the back and headaches. The injured ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

This marks the most recent case of aircraft being hit by severe turbulence, with aviation specialists indicating that climate change is a key driver.

There were 245 passengers and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the representative said, adding that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service said they received a call just three minutes prior to the plane landed, and ambulances were waiting on the tarmac.

Why in-flight bumpiness is getting more common - and more severe.

In the previous year, twenty-five passengers and crew were injured when another Delta jet, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "significant" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the long-haul flight, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a frightening five seconds bout of severe turbulence. A traveler died and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and crashed back down.

Bumpy air is not uncommon while flying, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are remained quite uncommon.

Research indicates that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence each year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million flights that currently occur around the world.

Severe turbulence is categorized as when the up and down movements of a aircraft going through disturbed air generate greater than 1.5g-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a restraint.

As climate change alters weather patterns, experts warn that flying could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are likely to increase the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.