Multiple Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes A Delta Airlines Aircraft Arriving in Sydney

A number of individuals have been injured when a Delta flight traveling from LA to Sydney encountered turbulence on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier told. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

Local paramedics stated they assessed a total of five people, and took a trio to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that comprised back pain and head pain. The injured spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the most recent case of commercial jets being hit by turbulence, with researchers indicating that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.

On board were 245 people and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the Delta spokesperson said, adding that the plane touched down "without further incident" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on the day in question.

Paramedics said they were alerted just three minutes before the plane arrived, and response teams were standing by on the runway.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming more frequent - and often stronger.

Last year, two dozen individuals were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "significant" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the long-haul flight, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a terrifying five seconds bout of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and fell back down.

Turbulence is not uncommon while flying, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence seem to be rising, they are statistically infrequent.

Research indicates that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence each year, out of a total of over 35 million journeys that are conducted worldwide.

Severe turbulence is categorized as when the up and down movements of a aircraft passing through disturbed air exert more than a significant G-force on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As global warming alters atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that commercial aviation could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are likely to boost the occurrence and strength of significant turbulence.