Multiple Injured as Turbulence Strikes Delta Plane Landing at Sydney, Australia

Several people sustained injuries after a Delta Airlines jet traveling from LA to Sydney, Australia encountered significant turbulence Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "encountered brief turbulence" as it landed at Sydney Airport, a company official told. Four flight attendants required medical attention.

Emergency medical services reported they assessed a total of five people, and transferred three to a medical facility with relatively minor issues that included back pain and head pain. Those affected were between their 30s to 70s.

The event represents the most recent case of aircraft experiencing turbulence, with researchers saying that global warming is a major factor.

There were nearly 250 travelers and a crew of 15 on the wide-body jet, the representative noted, adding that the plane landed "safely" at the airport at 6:48 a.m. local time on Friday morning.

Emergency responders said they were alerted just three minutes prior to the plane landed, and ambulances were waiting on the tarmac.

Why plane turbulence is growing more frequent - and more severe.

Last year, 25 people sustained injuries when a separate Delta aircraft, travelling from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, experienced "severe" rough air just 120 minutes into the transoceanic journey, and diverted for an unscheduled landing.

Earlier this year, travelers and staff on a Singapore Airlines flight experienced a terrifying short but intense bout of severe turbulence. One passenger passed away and numerous people sustained injuries, as those without seatbelts were thrown from their seats and were slammed back.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while instances of rough conditions appear to be increasing, they are remained quite uncommon.

Estimates show that there are approximately five thousand cases of severe or worse turbulence each year, out of a total of in excess of 35 million aircraft departures that are conducted globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is described as when the up and down movements of a aircraft going through disturbed air exert in excess of a significant G-force on your body - a strong enough force to lift you out of your seat if you weren't wearing a restraint.

As a changing climate modifies weather patterns, specialists caution that commercial aviation could become bumpier: shifts in temperature and changing jet streams in the higher altitudes are likely to boost the regularity and severity of dangerous in-flight bumps.