Several Injured as In-Flight Disturbance Impacts A Delta Airlines Flight Landing at Sydney, Australia

Several people were hurt after a Delta Airlines aircraft originating in LA to Sydney, Australia was hit by rough air Friday morning.

Delta Flight 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at the Sydney airport, a representative for the carrier informed. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Emergency medical services stated they treated a total of five people, and transported a trio to hospital with relatively minor issues that included spinal discomfort and head pain. The patients' ages ranged from their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the latest incident of planes experiencing severe turbulence, with researchers saying that climate change is a significant contributor.

The aircraft was carrying nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the representative noted, adding that the plane landed "safely" at Sydney Airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on the day in question.

Emergency responders reported they were alerted just three minutes before the plane arrived, and emergency vehicles were ready and waiting at the airport.

Why plane turbulence is getting increasingly prevalent - and often stronger.

Last year, 25 people were hurt when a separate Delta aircraft, on a route from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, hit "considerable" atmospheric disturbance just 120 minutes into the lengthy trip, and had to make an precautionary landing.

Recently, travelers and staff on a certain international flight went through a frightening short but intense bout of severe turbulence. A traveler died and many were hurt, as unbelted passengers lifted out of their seats and fell back down.

Bumpy air is not uncommon while flying, and while instances of rough conditions seem to be rising, they are statistically infrequent.

Estimates show that there are approximately 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a total of more than 35 million journeys that now take off around the world.

Severe turbulence is described as when the vertical motions of a aircraft going through disturbed air exert greater than 1.5g-force on your body - enough to lift you out of your seat if you weren't wearing a seatbelt.

As global warming modifies the conditions in the sky, experts warn that flying could become bumpier: warming trends and changing jet streams in the upper atmosphere are expected to boost the frequency and intensity of dangerous in-flight bumps.