Multiple Affected as Turbulence Hits Delta Aircraft Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew were hurt after a Delta Airlines aircraft from LA to Sydney encountered turbulence this past Friday.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it made its approach and landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson informed. Four flight attendants were injured.

Emergency medical services said they evaluated five individuals, and took a trio to a medical facility with relatively minor issues that such as pain in the back and headaches. The injured spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the newest example of aircraft being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists pointing out that climate change is a key driver.

On board were 245 passengers and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson added, clarifying that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

Paramedics reported they received a call just three minutes ahead of the plane landed, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why in-flight bumpiness is growing increasingly prevalent - and potentially more dangerous.

Last year, 25 people were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, hit "considerable" rough air just two hours into the long-haul flight, and diverted for an precautionary landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a terrifying five seconds of severe turbulence. An individual died and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine on aircraft journeys, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence seem to be rising, they are remained quite uncommon.

Estimates show that there are around thousands of instances of severe or worse turbulence annually, out of a sum of over 35 million journeys that now take off around the world.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the vertical motions of a aircraft experiencing disturbed air apply more than 1.5g-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you did not have on a seatbelt.

As climate change shifts weather patterns, experts warn that air travel could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the higher altitudes are expected to boost the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.