A Number of Affected as Turbulence Strikes A Delta Airlines Aircraft Landing at Sydney, Australia

A number of individuals were hurt following a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney was hit by turbulence Friday morning.

Flight DL41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a company official told. Several cabin crew members required medical attention.

Local paramedics said they assessed five individuals, and transported a trio to the hospital with relatively minor issues that such as spinal discomfort and head pain. The injured were between their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the newest example of commercial jets experiencing turbulence, with experts saying that global warming is a major factor.

The aircraft was carrying 245 people and fifteen staff members on the aircraft, the Delta spokesperson said, stating that the plane touched down "without further incident" at the airport at 06:48 local time on the day in question.

Paramedics indicated they received a call just three minutes before the plane landed, and emergency vehicles were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is growing increasingly prevalent - and often stronger.

In the previous year, two dozen individuals were hurt when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "considerable" turbulence just a couple of hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines jet endured a terrifying short but intense bout of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and numerous people sustained injuries, as individuals not fastened in lifted out of their seats and crashed back down.

Bumpy air is a common occurrence while flying, and while occurrences of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are around 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a overall number of over 35 million journeys that currently occur globally.

Severe turbulence is described as when the sudden jolts of a aircraft experiencing 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 weren't wearing a safety belt.

As global warming modifies atmospheric conditions, experts warn that commercial aviation could become less smooth: temperature changes and changing jet streams in the higher altitudes are projected to heighten the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.