Several Affected as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes Delta Flight Landing at Sydney

A number of individuals were hurt when a Delta jet traveling from LA to Sydney experienced rough air this past Friday.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, a company official told. Several cabin crew members were injured.

Local paramedics said they treated five patients, and transported three to hospital with minor injuries that such as back pain and headaches. The injured ranged from their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the latest incident of planes encountering atmospheric disturbance, with experts saying that climate change is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying 245 people and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the representative noted, adding that the plane touched down "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders reported they got a call just only 180 seconds ahead of the plane landed, and response teams were standing by on the runway.

The reasons turbulence is growing increasingly prevalent - and potentially more dangerous.

In the previous year, 25 people were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, experienced "considerable" rough air just two hours into the lengthy trip, and was forced to make an emergency landing.

Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight went through a terrifying brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. An individual died and numerous people sustained injuries, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence while flying, and while cases of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are still very rare.

Data suggests that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence every year, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million journeys that are conducted globally.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the sudden jolts of a plane passing through rough air masses exert greater than 1.5g-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As climate change shifts weather patterns, experts warn that flying could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and altered air currents in the jet stream level are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.