A Number of Injured as Turbulence Hits Delta Plane Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by significant turbulence Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, an airline spokesperson stated. A number of the onboard staff sustained injuries.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they evaluated five patients, and took three to hospital with minor injuries that included pain in the back and migraines. Those affected spanned from their 30s to 70s.

This marks the newest example of aircraft experiencing severe turbulence, with experts saying that global warming is a significant contributor.

There were 245 people and 15 crew members on the Airbus A350, the official said, adding that the plane arrived "without further incident" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service reported they were alerted just only 180 seconds ahead of the plane landed, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

Why plane turbulence is getting more common - and potentially more dangerous.

During the past year, 25 people were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "severe" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the lengthy trip, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight went through a terrifying five seconds of severe turbulence. An individual lost their life and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and crashed back down.

Bumpy air is not uncommon while flying, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Estimates show that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence each year, out of a total of more than 35 million aircraft departures that now take off around the world.

Intense turbulence is defined as when the vertical motions of a jet passing through disturbed air generate greater than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a seatbelt.

As climate change alters atmospheric conditions, researchers alert that flying could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and altered air currents in the upper atmosphere are expected to heighten the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.