World's tallest woman takes her first plane flight after airline removes 6 economy seats to make it possible
Orhan Kuzu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
- The world's tallest woman was able to take her first flight after an airline removed six seats for her.
- Rumeysa Gelgi, who is seven-feet tall, flew from Istanbul, Turkey, to San Francisco.
- Turkish Airlines modified a plane to allow Gelgi to lie on a stretcher for the 13-hour flight.
The world's tallest woman could fly on a plane for the first time after the airline removed six economy seats to accommodate her.
Rumeysa Gelgi, who stands at 7 feet, 0.7 inches tall, was named the world's tallest woman by Guinness World Records last year.
Turkish Airlines adapted one of their planes to allow her to travel to San Francisco in September, removing six seats and replacing them with a special stretcher for her to travel on the 13-hour flight, MailOnline reported.
Gelgi, 24, had never previously been able to travel on a plane due to her stature, caused by a condition called Weaver syndrome that causes bone overgrowth, among other things. Even as a child, she was too large to fit in plane seats, according to the outlet.
She typically uses a wheelchair or walker to move around due to her condition.
Gelgi shared a series of images of herself on the journey on Instagram and said that it was "a flawless journey from start to finish."
"This was my first flight, but it certainly won't be the last. From now on, I will be very honored and happy to fly to different parts of the world with @turkishairlines. A heartfelt thank you to every single person involved in my journey," she wrote.
Gelgi went to California to spend time advancing her career in software development and working with Guinness World Records, per the MailOnline.
Gelgi won her first Guinness World Record in 2014, when she was recognized as the world's tallest living teenager before officially becoming the world's tallest woman in 2021.
She also holds the record for being the woman with the largest hands, longest finger, and longest back in the world.