Multiple Affected as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts A Delta Airlines Plane Arriving in Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries after a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia was hit by rough air Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier told. Several cabin crew members required medical attention.

Emergency medical services stated they assessed a total of five people, and transported three to hospital with relatively minor issues that included back pain and migraines. Those affected ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the most recent case of commercial jets encountering atmospheric disturbance, with researchers indicating that global warming is a major factor.

On board were 245 people and 15 crew members on the wide-body jet, the Delta spokesperson added, clarifying that the plane landed "safely" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders reported they got a call just a mere three minutes before the plane touched down, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is growing increasingly prevalent - and more severe.

During the past year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "significant" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a frightening short but intense bout of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in lifted out of their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while instances of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.

Research indicates that there are an estimated five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence every year, out of a overall number of in excess of 35 million journeys that currently occur worldwide.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a aircraft going through unstable air exert greater than 1.5g-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a seatbelt.

As climate change alters the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that air travel could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are projected to increase the occurrence and strength of severe turbulence.