A Number of Injured as Rough Air Hits A Delta Airlines Plane Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Several people were hurt after a Delta aircraft originating in LA to Sydney experienced turbulence this past Friday.

Delta Flight 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it touched down at Sydney Airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

Local paramedics stated they assessed a total of five people, and took three of them to a medical facility with relatively minor issues that included pain in the back and migraines. The patients' ages were between their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the newest example of commercial jets experiencing turbulence, with researchers pointing out that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

On board were 245 passengers and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the representative noted, adding that the plane touched down "safely" at the airport at 06:48 local time on the day in question.

Emergency responders said they received a call just a mere three minutes ahead of the plane landed, and response teams were waiting on the tarmac.

The reasons turbulence is becoming increasingly prevalent - and potentially more dangerous.

In the previous year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, hit "significant" turbulence just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and had to make an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines jet went through a harrowing short but intense of severe turbulence. One passenger lost their life and many were hurt, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and were slammed back.

Turbulence is not uncommon while flying, and while instances of significant turbulence seem to be rising, they are still very rare.

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

Intense turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a plane experiencing unstable air exert in excess of 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - enough to throw you from your seat if you were not fastened by a restraint.

As a changing climate shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that commercial aviation could become more turbulent: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the jet stream level are likely to boost the occurrence and strength of dangerous in-flight bumps.