World’s tallest woman boards first ever flight after airline removes seats

Turkish Airlines removed six seats and installed a gurney to allow the woman on board

A Turkish airline has broken a record by allowing the world’s tallest woman to take her first flight.

Turkish Airlines removed a number of seats on the flight from Istanbul to San Francisco on 30 September 2022 to allow 34-year-old Rumeysa Gelgi to board the aircraft.

Gelgi, originally from Turkey, holds the Guinness World Record for being the tallest woman on earth, measuring over 7ft (2.15 metres).

This is the first time Ms Gelgi has ever been able to fly on a plane, as her height usually restricts her from boarding a standard-size aircraft.

Turkish Airlines removed six seats on the aircraft and installed a 7ft gurney for Ms Gelgi to lie on throughout the flight.

She posted a series of six photos documenting the journey to her Instagram page, showing her smiling on the gurney with airport staff, and eating cake on the flight.

She praised Turkish Airlines in the caption, writing in Turkish: “A flawless journey from start to finish. There are so many people I have to thank.”

She added: “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. With love.”

Gelgi’s height is caused by a rare genetic condition called Weaver Syndrome, which severely limits her movement. She uses a wheelchair but can walk for short amounts of time.

The condition tends to produce rapid growth, as well as affecting facial features and causing some learning and physical disabilities.

The Turkish Airlines crew organised an official celebration for Ms Gelgi while onboard the flight; she noted in her post that the process came to a total of 19 hours.

She is based in California and has over 22,000 followers on her Instagram; she also holds five Guinness World Records in total for having the world’s largest hands, longest finger and longest back.

She concluded her caption: “For now, I cannot share detailed images/videos about my journey. But very soon you will be able to see every detail.”