Multiple Hurt as Turbulence Impacts Delta Aircraft Landing at Sydney

Several people were hurt after a Delta jet originating in Los Angeles to Sydney experienced significant turbulence on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier stated. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Local paramedics reported they assessed a total of five people, and transported three to a medical facility with relatively minor issues that included spinal discomfort and headaches. The patients' ages spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the most recent case of commercial jets being hit by turbulence, with experts saying that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.

On board were 245 people and fifteen staff members on the wide-body jet, the Delta spokesperson noted, clarifying that the plane arrived "safely" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Paramedics reported they got a call just only 180 seconds ahead of the plane landed, and emergency vehicles were ready and waiting at the airport.

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

Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the long-haul flight, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a harrowing short but intense period of extreme instability. One passenger died and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine during flights, and while instances of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are remained quite uncommon.

Estimates show that there are an estimated five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a total of more than 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur worldwide.

Intense turbulence is categorized as when the vertical motions of a plane experiencing unstable air generate greater than 1.5g-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As global warming alters atmospheric conditions, specialists caution that flying could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.