A Number of Hurt as In-Flight Disturbance Hits A Delta Airlines Aircraft Arriving in Sydney, Australia

Several people have been injured following a Delta jet from Los Angeles to Sydney was hit by rough air on Friday morning.

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

The New South Wales Ambulance Service stated they treated five individuals, and took a trio to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that included spinal discomfort and head pain. The patients' ages ranged from their 30s to 70s.

It is the latest incident of commercial jets being hit by turbulence, with experts indicating that shifting climate patterns is a key driver.

The aircraft was carrying 245 people and a crew of 15 on the Airbus A350, the representative said, adding that the plane touched down "safely and normally" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders indicated they got a call just only 180 seconds prior to the plane landed, and emergency vehicles were ready and waiting at the airport.

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

During the past year, two dozen individuals sustained injuries when a Delta Airlines flight, travelling from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, hit "severe" rough air just 120 minutes into the long-haul flight, and diverted for an emergency landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines flight endured a harrowing five seconds bout of severe turbulence. One passenger died and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and fell back down.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence while flying, and while instances of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are still very rare.

Data suggests that there are approximately thousands of instances of significant in-flight disturbance each year, out of a total of over 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted worldwide.

Severe turbulence is defined as when the up and down movements of a plane going through rough air masses generate in excess of a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you were not fastened by a restraint.

As a changing climate shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: warming trends and shifting wind patterns in the higher altitudes are expected to increase the regularity and severity of significant turbulence.