Several Affected as Turbulence Impacts A Delta Airlines Plane Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew were hurt after a Delta Airlines jet from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia experienced rough air on Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, an airline spokesperson stated. Four flight attendants were injured.

Emergency medical services stated they evaluated five patients, and transferred three of them to the hospital with minor injuries that included spinal discomfort and headaches. Those affected ranged from their 30s up to the 70s.

This marks the most recent case of planes being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with experts indicating that shifting climate patterns is a significant contributor.

On board were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the official added, clarifying that the plane arrived "safely and normally" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Paramedics indicated they received a call just only 180 seconds before the plane landed, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is getting more frequent - and often stronger.

In the previous year, two dozen individuals were injured when another Delta jet, flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "severe" atmospheric disturbance just two hours into the lengthy trip, and had to make an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a certain international flight endured a terrifying short but intense bout of severe turbulence. A traveler lost their life and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine on aircraft journeys, and while cases of rough conditions are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are an estimated thousands of instances of severe or worse turbulence annually, out of a total of more than 35 million aircraft departures that now take off worldwide.

Severe turbulence is described as when the vertical motions of a aircraft going through unstable air exert in excess of a significant G-force on your body - enough to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As global warming modifies the conditions in the sky, experts warn that air travel could become more turbulent: temperature changes and altered air currents in the upper atmosphere are projected to heighten the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.