Pictured: World’s tallest woman takes first ever flight

Pictured: World’s tallest woman takes first ever flight

Rumeysa Gelgi stands at 7ft1in inches tall and had previously never been able to travel on a plane because of her stature

The world’s tallest woman was able to fly on a plane for the first time after Turkish Airlines removed six economy seats to accommodate her.

Rumeysa Gelgi, who stands at 7ft1in inches tall, was named the world’s tallest woman by Guinness World Records last year.

Turkish Airlines adapted one of its planes to allow her to travel from Istanbul to San Francisco in September, removing six seats and replacing them with a special stretcher for her to lie down on for the 13-hour flight.

Ms Gelgi, 25, had never been able to travel on a plane because of her stature, caused by a condition called Weaver syndrome, which causes bone overgrowth, among other things.

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

Even as a child, she was too large to fit in plane seats.

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.

Mr Gelgi – who works in the technology software industry – usually uses a specialised wheelchair to get around, but is able to walk with the assistance of a cane.

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.

The tallest woman to have lived was Zeng Jinlian, from China, who was measured at 8ft1in before her death in 1982.

“I was born with extreme physical uniqueness, and wanted to have as much of them recognised and celebrated as possible, hoping to inspire and encourage others with visible differences to do the same thing and be themselves,” she wrote on her page.