Multiple Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes A Delta Airlines Flight Landing at Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals sustained injuries after a Delta Airlines flight originating in LA to Sydney, Australia experienced turbulence Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier told. A number of the onboard staff were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they assessed five patients, and took three of them to hospital with minor injuries that included spinal discomfort and head pain. The patients' ages 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 15 crew members on the wide-body jet, the Delta spokesperson noted, adding that the plane touched down "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday.

Paramedics indicated they received a call just only 180 seconds prior to the plane landed, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and more severe.

Last year, 25 people were hurt when another Delta jet, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "significant" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and diverted for an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a terrifying five seconds bout of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

Bumpy air is a common occurrence while flying, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Data suggests that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of severe-or-greater turbulence annually, out of a total of over 35 million journeys that now take off globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the up and down movements of a aircraft passing through unstable air generate greater 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 seatbelt.

As climate change shifts atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that flying could become more turbulent: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.