First Flight of the tallest woman in the World ! Turkish Airlines made it by removing Six seats to make room for her travel to San Francisco .

That was a moment for her and the Turkish Airlines as well , the tallest woman in the world has made her first trip by plane with the help of Turkish Flag bearer in the month of September.

Rumeysa Gelgi , who is the holder of Guinness Book of Records for her 2.15-meter (about 7-foot) height , boarded the San Francisco (SFO) - bound Boeing 777-300ER  aircraft with her wheelchair before laying on the stretcher for the 13-hour flight.

Guinness World Records

To make the travel possible , Turkish Airlines came forward and converted 6-seats on the aircraft into stretcher for Gelgi to lie-down throughout the flight.

With the required seating adjustment , Rumeysa Gelgi finally boarded a plane at Istanbul International Airport (IST) for the first time in her life accompanied by her mother. Though not an easy task for co-ordination , the tallest woman in the world finally made her very first trip by plane.

Rumeysa Gelgi with her mother at Istanbul Airport, Turkey. Photo : AA.

The 24-year-old travelled to San Francisco for her career interests in software development , but she will also co-ordinate with Guinness World Records to promote various events.

Gelgi has to travel by stretcher due to Weaver syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by rapid bone growth . Although there is no cure, people with this condition can live healthy lives. She normally gets around by wheelchair but sometimes walks for short distances. 

She mentioned at Istanbul Airport that she was very excited to travel by plane for the first time , and that this flight was important for patients like her who need a stretcher.

"This will be my first flight as well as my first travel overseas. But I believe that this experience will be a first for many individuals, not just me. Because as you know, the option of traveling as a stretcher passenger is generally reserved for patients who are being transferred from one intensive care unit to another."

"It is an alternative for patients who are referred from one hospital to another and need an ambulance. However, because I couldn't sit for lengthy periods of time due to my scoliosis, or spine curvature disorder, I had to fly on a stretcher" .

Rumeysa Gelgi , Photo : AA.

Gelgi lives in Karabük, Türkey , that's about 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of  Ankara. She wants to use her world record title to advocate and raise awareness of both Weaver syndrome and scoliosis.

If one checks the records , the tallest woman ever recorded was Zeng Jinlian from Hunan Province of China , who measured 246.3 cm (8 feet, 1 inch) at the time of her death in February 1982.

Coincidentally , World's tallest man — Sultan Kosen , who has been measured at 2.51 meters (8 feet 2.8 inches) tall , also lives in Türkiye.