Several Hurt as Rough Air Strikes A Delta Airlines Aircraft Landing at Sydney

Several people have been injured following a Delta Airlines jet originating in LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by rough air on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "went through a short bout of rough air" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson told. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Local paramedics stated they evaluated a total of five people, and transported a trio to a medical facility with relatively minor issues that included spinal discomfort and headaches. Those affected ranged from their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the newest example of commercial jets being hit by turbulence, with researchers saying that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

There were nearly 250 travelers and 15 crew members on the aircraft, the official added, adding that the plane arrived "without further incident" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders reported they got a call just three minutes ahead of the plane touched down, and response teams were standing by on the runway.

Why plane turbulence is getting more frequent - and potentially more dangerous.

Last year, 25 people were injured when a Delta Airlines flight, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, encountered "significant" turbulence just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a terrifying five seconds period of extreme instability. A traveler passed away and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is not uncommon while flying, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence appear to be increasing, they are statistically infrequent.

Data suggests that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance annually, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million journeys that now take off worldwide.

Intense turbulence is categorized as when the vertical motions of a plane going through unstable air exert greater than a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you did not have on a restraint.

As climate change alters the conditions in the sky, experts warn that flying could become more turbulent: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the jet stream level are likely to increase the regularity and severity of dangerous in-flight bumps.