A Number of Hurt as Turbulence Strikes Delta Aircraft into Sydney, Australia

Several people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines aircraft from LA to Sydney was hit by significant turbulence on Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a company official told. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

Local paramedics said they assessed five individuals, and transferred three to hospital with minor injuries that comprised spinal discomfort and migraines. The patients' ages were between their 30s to 70s.

This marks the most recent case of planes being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with researchers pointing out that global warming is a significant contributor.

The aircraft was carrying 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the wide-body jet, the Delta spokesperson noted, adding that the plane touched down "safely" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

Paramedics reported they were alerted just only 180 seconds prior to the plane arrived, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why in-flight bumpiness is getting more common - and often stronger.

Last year, 25 people were injured when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "considerable" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a terrifying brief five-second of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and crashed back down.

Turbulence is not uncommon during flights, and while cases of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are around five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a total of over 35 million flights that currently occur globally.

Intense turbulence is defined as when the sudden jolts of a plane going through rough air masses generate greater than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to lift you out of your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As global warming shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that commercial aviation could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the jet stream level are likely to boost the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.