Multiple Hurt as Rough Air Strikes Delta Flight Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Several people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines aircraft from Los Angeles to Sydney experienced significant turbulence this past Friday.

Delta Flight 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it made its approach and landed at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier told. Several cabin crew members were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service reported they evaluated five patients, and transported three to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries that included spinal discomfort and headaches. The injured spanned from their thirties and seventies.

The event represents the most recent case of aircraft being hit by severe turbulence, with experts saying that climate change is a significant contributor.

On board were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the Delta spokesperson noted, stating that the plane landed "safely" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

The NSW Ambulance Service said they received a call just a mere three minutes prior to the plane landed, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming more frequent - and potentially more dangerous.

Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, hit "considerable" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the lengthy trip, and had to make an emergency landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a terrifying brief five-second of severe turbulence. A traveler died and dozens were injured, as individuals not fastened in were thrown from their seats and fell back down.

Bumpy air is not uncommon while flying, and while instances of significant turbulence appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are an estimated five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million journeys that now take off globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the up and down movements of a aircraft experiencing rough air masses generate more than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As global warming modifies atmospheric conditions, experts warn that commercial aviation could become more turbulent: warming trends and altered air currents in the upper atmosphere are projected to increase the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.