Several Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts Delta Plane into Sydney

Several people sustained injuries after a Delta flight from LA to Sydney experienced significant turbulence this past Friday.

Delta Flight 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they evaluated five individuals, and took a trio to a medical facility with relatively minor issues that comprised pain in the back and migraines. The injured ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

It is the newest example of aircraft experiencing severe turbulence, with aviation specialists pointing out that climate change is a key driver.

On board were 245 passengers and 15 crew members on the wide-body jet, the Delta spokesperson added, adding that the plane arrived "safely" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday.

Emergency responders said they were alerted just a mere three minutes prior to the plane touched down, and emergency vehicles were ready and waiting at the airport.

The reasons turbulence is becoming more frequent - and often stronger.

In the previous year, twenty-five passengers and crew sustained injuries when a separate Delta aircraft, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, encountered "significant" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the lengthy trip, and had to make an emergency landing.

Recently, those on board on a certain international flight went through a terrifying brief five-second period of extreme instability. An individual passed away and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is not uncommon while flying, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Estimates show that there are an estimated five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a total of over 35 million journeys that are conducted around the world.

Intense turbulence is defined as when the sudden jolts of a plane passing through rough air masses generate in excess of 1.5g-force on your body - a strong enough force to lift you out of your seat if you did not have on a restraint.

As global warming alters atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that air travel could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are likely to boost the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.