A Number of Injured as Turbulence Impacts A Delta Airlines Flight Arriving in Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries following a Delta jet traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney was hit by turbulence Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it touched down at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson stated. Several cabin crew members were injured.

Local paramedics reported they treated five patients, and transported a trio to a medical facility with minor injuries that such as back pain and migraines. The injured spanned from their 30s to 70s.

This marks the latest incident of commercial jets experiencing turbulence, with researchers pointing out that global warming is a key driver.

There were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the official noted, adding that the plane landed "safely and normally" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

Emergency responders indicated they got a call just only 180 seconds prior to the plane arrived, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.

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

Last year, 25 people sustained injuries when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "severe" turbulence just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a terrifying short but intense period of extreme instability. An individual lost their life and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and crashed back down.

Bumpy air is a common occurrence during flights, and while cases of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are statistically infrequent.

Data suggests that there are approximately thousands of instances of severe or worse turbulence annually, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the vertical motions of a jet going through disturbed air apply more than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.

As global warming shifts weather patterns, specialists caution that air travel could become less smooth: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to heighten the occurrence and strength of severe turbulence.