Multiple Affected as Turbulence Hits A Delta Airlines Flight Landing at Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew have been injured after a Delta Airlines jet traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia experienced rough air Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson stated. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

Local paramedics said they evaluated five individuals, and transferred three to hospital with relatively minor issues that such as pain in the back and migraines. The patients' ages spanned from their 30s to 70s.

It is the newest example of commercial jets being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists pointing out that global warming is a key driver.

There were 245 passengers and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the official added, clarifying that the plane landed "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on the day in question.

Paramedics indicated they got a call just a mere three minutes ahead of the plane arrived, and emergency vehicles were waiting on the tarmac.

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

During the past year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, encountered "severe" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the long-haul flight, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a frightening brief five-second period of extreme instability. One passenger lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.

Bumpy air is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while instances of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are remained quite uncommon.

Estimates show that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe-or-greater turbulence each year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur worldwide.

Severe turbulence is described as when the vertical motions of a plane passing through rough air masses exert greater than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As global warming modifies atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that air travel could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the jet stream level are likely to heighten the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.