Several Injured as Rough Air Impacts A Delta Airlines Aircraft Arriving in Sydney

Several people were hurt after a Delta aircraft from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia experienced turbulence on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson informed. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.

Emergency medical services reported they evaluated five patients, and took a trio to the hospital with minor injuries that comprised pain in the back and migraines. Those affected ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the newest example of planes being hit by turbulence, with researchers indicating that climate change is a significant contributor.

The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the wide-body jet, the official added, adding that the plane arrived "without further incident" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

Emergency responders reported they got a call just three minutes ahead of the plane landed, and ambulances were waiting on the tarmac.

Why plane turbulence is getting more common - and potentially more dangerous.

Last year, 25 people sustained injuries when a separate Delta aircraft, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, encountered "severe" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the long-haul flight, and diverted for an precautionary landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a frightening short but intense of severe turbulence. One passenger passed away and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are approximately thousands of instances of severe-or-greater turbulence each year, out of a overall number of more than 35 million flights that now take off around the world.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a plane passing through disturbed air apply greater than a significant G-force on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As global warming shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.