World's tallest woman finally got to fly for first time after plane removed six seats

Who really enjoys flying? With the hustle and bustle of the airport, screaming toddlers and turbulence, travelling by air leaves a lot to be desired.

But, imagine if you couldn’t fly and were robbed of your travelling dreams for something as unavoidable as your height?

For 27-year-old Rumeysa Gelgi, this was her reality, as the Turkish woman had to wait until adulthood before she could travel by plane.

Gelgi, who has a rare disorder named Weaver syndrome, was 25 when she was able to fit her 7ft frame onto an airplane.

Rumeysa Gelgi is the world's tallest woman. (Instagram/@rumeysagelgi)

It was Turkish Airlines who granted Gelgi, who holds the Guinness World Record for tallest woman alive, her wish – and they were willing to remove six seats to do so.

The flight, which travelled from Turkey to San Francisco, went off without a hitch, leading Gelgi to praise the airlines on her Instagram account.

She wrote: “A flawless journey from start to finish... this was my first plane ride but it certainly won't be my last... a heartfelt thank you to each and every person who has been a part of my journey."

Weaver’s syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes rapid growth, and has left her travelling in a wheelchair.

Gelgi finally flew for the first time after a plane removed six seats to accommodate her height. (Instagram/@rumeysagelgi)

However, thanks to the airline’s willingness to transform the seats into a stretcher, Gelgi was able to travel to California for business, where she balanced her time working both as a technology software expert and with Guinness World Records.

Rumeysa first began working with the company in 2014, when she was crowned the world’s tallest living teenager – a title which was soon upgraded to tallest woman in the world in 2021.

She’s also broken the Guinness World Record for the longest thumb on a living female, the largest hands on a living female and the longest back on a living female.

Fans were quick to congratulate Gelgi on her travelling achievement, and quickly took to Instagram to support her.

The Turkish woman has Weaver syndrome. (Instagram/@rumeysagelgi)

On her post documenting the journey, people left comments such as: “So glad your first flight went well!”, “So happy for you!” and “Awesome. I hope you get to see the world now.”

Turkish Airlines also commented on the post, welcoming Rumeysa back with open arms.

On the social media platform, the company wrote: “Hello Ms. Rümeysa, we are very happy that your flight went smoothly and your valuable feedback.

“We always want to do what we can for you and our work continues in this direction. Whenever you need us, we are here for you as Turkish Airlines.”