Multiple Affected as Rough Air Impacts A Delta Airlines Flight Arriving in Sydney

Multiple passengers and crew have been injured when a Delta jet traveling from LA to Sydney was hit by turbulence Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson told. Several cabin crew members sustained injuries.

Local paramedics said they evaluated a total of five people, and transferred three to hospital with relatively minor issues that such as spinal discomfort and migraines. Those affected spanned from their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the newest example of aircraft encountering turbulence, with aviation specialists pointing out that climate change is a key driver.

There were 245 passengers and 15 crew members on the wide-body jet, the representative noted, clarifying that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at Sydney Airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Paramedics indicated they were alerted just a mere three minutes before the plane touched down, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is becoming more common - and often stronger.

Last year, two dozen individuals were hurt when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, hit "severe" atmospheric disturbance just a couple of hours into the long-haul flight, and was forced to make an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a certain international flight endured a harrowing short but intense of severe turbulence. A traveler passed away and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is fairly routine on aircraft journeys, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Data suggests that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a sum of more than 35 million flights that currently occur worldwide.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the vertical motions of a plane experiencing unstable air generate in excess of a significant G-force on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.

As climate change modifies atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the jet stream level are expected to boost the regularity and severity of dangerous in-flight bumps.