Several Hurt as Rough Air Impacts A Delta Airlines Flight Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew were hurt following a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia experienced rough air Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier informed. A number of the onboard staff sustained injuries.

Emergency medical services reported they evaluated five individuals, and took a trio to hospital with relatively minor issues that such as spinal discomfort and head pain. The injured ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the most recent case of aircraft encountering turbulence, with aviation specialists indicating that global warming is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson added, stating that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday.

Paramedics reported they were alerted just three minutes ahead of the plane arrived, and response teams were ready and waiting at the airport.

The reasons turbulence is getting more frequent - and potentially more dangerous.

Last year, 25 people were injured when another Delta jet, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, experienced "severe" turbulence just two hours into the lengthy trip, and had to make an unscheduled landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight experienced a frightening brief five-second period of extreme instability. A traveler died and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence seem to be rising, they are remained quite uncommon.

Research indicates that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a sum of over 35 million aircraft departures that now take off around the world.

Severe turbulence is described as when the up and down movements of a plane experiencing disturbed air exert greater than 1.5g-force on your body - sufficient force to lift you out of your seat if you did not have on a restraint.

As a changing climate modifies atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the jet stream level are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.