Injured passengers were met by emergency services, including the New York Fire Department, at the arrivals terminal after the plane finally touched down at 5.35pm.
Steve Coleman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that 28 people injured during the flight were taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Centre in Queens. This included a member of the Turkish Airlines cabin crew who received a broken leg.
The flight operator Turkish Airlines issued a statement regarding the flight, saying it is "deeply saddened by this unfortunate experience, and closely monitors the health status of injured passengers, and is making resources available to them."
The flight had been carrying 326 passengers and eighteen crew members.
While the New York Fire Department downgraded its initial injury report from 32 to 29, the incident was alarming for both passengers and those in the busy airport arrivals lounge.
While the violent turbulence affecting flight TK1 can seen as a freak incident, climate scientists suggest that incidents are on the rise. Professor Paul D. Williams of Reading University's Department of Meteorology predicts that transatlantic crossings will only get rougher in reaction to climate change.
"The prevalence of transatlantic wintertime clear-air turbulence will increase significantly in all aviation-relevant strength categories as the climate changes," wrote the academic in a 2017 research paper and highlighted by Travel and Leisure's coverage of transatlantic turbulence.
