Several people were injured after a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Sydney encountered turbulence on Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 “encountered brief turbulence” while landing at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson told the BBC. Four flight attendants sustained minor injuries, while passengers were unharmed.

The New South Wales Ambulance Service assessed five patients in total, transporting three to hospital with minor injuries, including back pain and headaches. The injured ranged in age from their 30s to 70s.

The Airbus A350 was carrying 245 passengers and 15 crew members and landed safely at 06:48 local time (19:48 GMT Thursday), according to Delta. Emergency vehicles were stationed on the tarmac after NSW Ambulance received a call just three minutes before touchdown.

 

This is the latest in a series of turbulence-related incidents. Last year, 25 people were injured when a Delta flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam encountered significant turbulence two hours into the flight, forcing an emergency landing. In 2024, a Singapore Airlines flight suffered five seconds of severe turbulence, leaving one passenger dead and dozens injured.

 

Turbulence, while common, is rarely severe. Estimates suggest around 5,000 cases of severe-or-greater turbulence occur annually, out of more than 35 million global flights. Severe turbulence is defined as conditions that exert more than 1.5g-force on the body, enough to lift an unbelted passenger from their seat.

 

Experts warn that climate change may increase the frequency and intensity of turbulence. Shifts in temperature and upper-atmosphere wind patterns are expected to make flights bumpier in the years ahead.