Multiple Affected as Turbulence Hits A Delta Airlines Flight into Sydney, Australia

Several people were hurt following a Delta jet from LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by turbulence this past Friday.

Delta Flight 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier stated. A number of the onboard staff required medical attention.

Emergency medical services said they assessed five patients, and took three to a medical facility with minor injuries that such as back pain and migraines. The injured ranged from their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the latest incident of commercial jets encountering turbulence, with experts saying that global warming is a significant contributor.

There were 245 people and fifteen staff members on the aircraft, the representative said, stating that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders reported they were alerted just three minutes before the plane landed, and emergency vehicles were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is growing increasingly prevalent - and often stronger.

During the past year, 25 people were hurt when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, hit "significant" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight went through a frightening brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. A traveler lost their life and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is not uncommon on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are statistically infrequent.

Estimates show that there are around 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a sum of more than 35 million flights that currently occur globally.

Intense turbulence is described as when the sudden jolts of a aircraft passing through rough air masses exert more than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a restraint.

As a changing climate shifts the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that flying could become bumpier: warming trends and changing jet streams in the jet stream level are projected to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.