Several Injured as Rough Air Hits A Delta Airlines Aircraft into Sydney, Australia

Multiple passengers and crew have been injured when a Delta jet originating in LA to Sydney, Australia encountered rough air Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at Sydney Airport, a company official informed. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Local paramedics reported they assessed five patients, and transported three of them to a medical facility with non-life-threatening injuries that such as back pain and migraines. Those affected were between their 30s to 70s.

It is the newest example of commercial jets being hit by atmospheric disturbance, with aviation specialists saying that shifting climate patterns is a major factor.

On board were 245 people and fifteen staff members on the aircraft, the official added, clarifying that the plane arrived "without further incident" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on the day in question.

Emergency responders said they received a call just three minutes before the plane arrived, and ambulances were ready and waiting at the airport.

The reasons turbulence is getting more common - and more severe.

During the past year, 25 people were injured when a separate Delta aircraft, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, hit "considerable" rough air just two hours into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Recently, passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a frightening brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. One passenger passed away and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers rose out of their seats and fell back down.

Bumpy air is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of strong or severe turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are still very rare.

Research indicates that there are around 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a total of more than 35 million flights that are conducted globally.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the sudden jolts of a jet passing through disturbed air generate more than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to throw you from your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As climate change alters atmospheric conditions, experts warn that commercial aviation could become more turbulent: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are likely to boost the frequency and intensity of significant turbulence.