Several Affected as Turbulence Strikes Delta Flight into Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew were hurt after a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Sydney experienced turbulence Friday morning.

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

Emergency medical services reported they treated five patients, and transported three of them to hospital with minor injuries that comprised back pain and headaches. Those affected were between their 30s up to the 70s.

This marks the latest incident of aircraft encountering turbulence, with researchers pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.

There were 245 passengers and fifteen staff members on the wide-body jet, the Delta spokesperson noted, adding that the plane touched down "safely" at Sydney Airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

Emergency responders indicated they received a call just only 180 seconds ahead of the plane landed, and response teams were standing by on the runway.

Why in-flight bumpiness is getting increasingly prevalent - and often stronger.

Last year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when another Delta jet, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, encountered "significant" turbulence just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and was forced to make an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, passengers and crew on a certain international flight experienced a harrowing five seconds of severe turbulence. One passenger died and dozens were injured, as unbelted passengers were thrown from their seats and crashed back down.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence during flights, and while cases of strong or severe turbulence seem to be rising, they are statistically infrequent.

Research indicates that there are an estimated 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence every year, out of a total of more than 35 million flights that now take off around the world.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the up and down movements of a plane passing through rough air masses generate greater than 1.5g-force on your body - sufficient force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a safety belt.

As climate change shifts the conditions in the sky, experts warn that flying could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the jet stream level are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.