Several Affected as In-Flight Disturbance Hits Delta Flight Landing at Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals have been injured when a Delta Airlines aircraft traveling from LA to Sydney encountered significant turbulence this past Friday.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson told. A number of the onboard staff were injured.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they assessed five individuals, and transferred three of them to the hospital with minor injuries that such as pain in the back and headaches. The injured were between their thirties and seventies.

It is the most recent case of aircraft being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with researchers saying that global warming is a major factor.

The aircraft was carrying 245 people and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the official noted, clarifying that the plane landed "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

The NSW Ambulance Service reported they received a call just a mere three minutes ahead of the plane arrived, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.

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

Last year, 25 people sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, hit "severe" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and had to make an unscheduled landing.

Recently, those on board on a certain international flight went through a frightening short but intense bout of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.

Bumpy air is a common occurrence during flights, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are around 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence each year, out of a total of more than 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur around the world.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the vertical motions of a plane experiencing disturbed air exert in excess of a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As global warming modifies weather patterns, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are expected to boost the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.