Several Affected as In-Flight Disturbance Hits Delta Plane Arriving in Sydney

Several people have been injured after a Delta Airlines flight originating in LA to Sydney, Australia experienced rough air this past Friday.

Delta Flight 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier stated. Several cabin crew members required medical attention.

Emergency medical services said they assessed five patients, and transferred three to a medical facility with relatively minor issues that included pain in the back and headaches. Those affected spanned from their thirties and seventies.

It is the most recent case of planes being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists pointing out that global warming is a major factor.

There were nearly 250 travelers and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the representative added, stating that the plane touched down "safely" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

Emergency responders reported they got a call just a mere three minutes ahead of the plane landed, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.

The reasons turbulence is growing more frequent - and more severe.

During the past year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "significant" turbulence just two hours into the long-haul flight, and was forced to make an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a certain international flight experienced a terrifying five seconds of severe turbulence. An individual passed away and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine during flights, and while instances of rough conditions seem to be rising, they are statistically infrequent.

Data suggests that there are around five thousand cases of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the up and down movements of a aircraft going through disturbed air apply more than a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to lift you out of your seat if you did not have on a safety belt.

As global warming alters atmospheric conditions, researchers alert that air travel could become more turbulent: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are expected to increase the regularity and severity of dangerous in-flight bumps.