Worlds tallest woman boards adjusted plane for her first-ever flight

Worlds tallest woman boards adjusted plane for her first-ever flight
The world's tallest woman got on her first-ever plane ride with state carrier Turkish Airlines to travel to the United States, where she intends to stay for at least six months.
2 min read
01 October, 2022
The world's tallest woman flew to San Francisco with Turkish Airlines [Getty]

The world’s tallest woman flew on a plane for the first time in her life with Turkey's national carrier earlier this week.

Rumeysa Gelgi – who features in the Guinness Book of World Records for her 2.15-metre height – took a 13-hour Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to San Francisco after the airline turned six plane seats into a stretcher to accommodate her.

The 25-year-old usually gets around using her wheelchair, as she suffers from Weaver syndrome, a rare genetic disorder causing rapid growth.

"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," Gelgi wrote of her flight in an Instagram post on Friday.

Gelgi – who works in the technology software industry – says she will be in the US for at least six months to further her career and collaborate with Guinness World Records.

She said she has "never been so excited for the future before".

Gelgi has held a Guinness World Record since 2014, when she became the tallest teenager living, before being recognised as the world’s tallest woman in 2021.

She has also broken Guinness World Record titles for having the longest finger on a living female person, the largest hands on a living female person, and the longest back on a living female person.