Multiple Affected as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes A Delta Airlines Aircraft Landing at Sydney

Several people have been injured following a Delta Airlines jet from LA to Sydney, Australia experienced rough air Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a company official told. A number of the onboard staff sustained injuries.

Local paramedics reported they treated five individuals, and transported three to the hospital with relatively minor issues that comprised back pain and migraines. The injured were between their 30s up to the 70s.

This marks the newest example of aircraft experiencing severe turbulence, with researchers pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

On board were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the representative said, adding that the plane touched down "safely" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday.

Emergency responders reported they were alerted just three minutes ahead of the plane landed, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is becoming more common - and potentially more dangerous.

During the past year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet experienced a harrowing five seconds period of extreme instability. One passenger lost their life and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while instances of significant turbulence appear to be increasing, they are remained quite uncommon.

Data suggests that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a total of over 35 million aircraft departures that now take off around the world.

Intense turbulence is described as when the vertical motions of a jet experiencing rough air masses exert more than a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As a changing climate shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that flying could become more turbulent: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are projected to heighten the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.