A Number of Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Strikes Delta Flight Landing at Sydney

A number of individuals sustained injuries following a Delta Airlines flight originating in Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia experienced rough air this past Friday.

Delta Flight 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at the Sydney airport, a company official stated. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service said they evaluated five patients, and took three of them to hospital with minor injuries that such as back pain and migraines. Those affected ranged from their thirties and seventies.

It is the most recent case of planes experiencing severe turbulence, with researchers saying that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the wide-body jet, the official noted, stating that the plane landed "safely" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on the day in question.

Emergency responders reported they received a call just three minutes before the plane arrived, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.

Why in-flight bumpiness is becoming more common - and more severe.

Last year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when another Delta jet, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "significant" rough air just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and had to make an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet went through a frightening short but intense of severe turbulence. A traveler lost their life and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine during flights, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Data suggests that there are around thousands of instances of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a sum of over 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is described as when the up and down movements of a jet going through unstable air exert in excess of a significant G-force on your body - sufficient force to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a seatbelt.

As a changing climate alters the conditions in the sky, researchers alert that flying could become bumpier: warming trends and altered air currents in the higher altitudes are likely to heighten the occurrence and strength of severe turbulence.