A Number of Affected as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts A Delta Airlines Aircraft Landing at Sydney, Australia

Several people were hurt following a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia encountered rough air on Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier told. Four flight attendants were injured.

Emergency medical services stated they evaluated five individuals, and took three of them to the hospital with minor injuries that included spinal discomfort and migraines. The injured were between their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the most recent case of planes being hit by turbulence, with researchers pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the official added, stating that the plane touched down "safely" at the airport at 06:48 local time on Friday morning.

Paramedics reported they received a call just only 180 seconds before the plane touched down, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

The reasons turbulence is becoming more frequent - and often stronger.

During the past year, 25 people sustained injuries when another Delta jet, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, Netherlands, experienced "considerable" turbulence just 120 minutes into the long-haul flight, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Recently, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a terrifying short but intense of severe turbulence. An individual passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is fairly routine while flying, and while instances of strong or severe turbulence seem to be rising, they are remained quite uncommon.

Research indicates that there are around 5,000 incidents of severe or worse turbulence every year, out of a total of over 35 million aircraft departures that currently occur globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is defined as when the sudden jolts of a plane experiencing disturbed air generate more than 1.5g-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a restraint.

As climate change modifies weather patterns, experts warn that air travel could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and altered air currents in the higher altitudes are expected to increase the regularity and severity of severe turbulence.