Multiple Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes A Delta Airlines Aircraft Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Several people were hurt following a Delta aircraft traveling from LA to Sydney, Australia encountered rough air this past Friday.

Delta Flight 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 sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they evaluated a total of five people, and took a trio to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that such as spinal discomfort and head pain. The injured were between their thirties and seventies.

The event represents the newest example of commercial jets encountering turbulence, with experts pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying 245 people and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the official said, adding that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service indicated they received a call just three minutes ahead of the plane touched down, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is getting more common - and more severe.

Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "significant" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the long-haul flight, and had to make an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a frightening five seconds of severe turbulence. An individual lost their life and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence during flights, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are statistically infrequent.

Estimates show that there are approximately thousands of instances of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a overall number of over 35 million aircraft departures that now take off worldwide.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the up and down movements of a jet going through rough air masses apply more than a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As global warming alters weather patterns, experts warn that air travel could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to heighten the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.