The world's tallest woman has been given the chance of a lifetime after Turkish Airlines offered her the opportunity to fly on an airplane for the first time.

Rumeysa Gelgi, from Turkey, broke the Guinness World Record as the tallest teenager in 2014, before graduating to the world's tallest living woman at the age of 18.

Now, at 25 years old, Gelgi still reigns supreme as the tallest woman in the world at 7ft and 0.7", per Guinness World Records.

Per Gelgi's personal website, her towering height is attributed to Weaver Syndrome, a condition that causes the individual to experience "large birth size, accelerated growth, and skeletal maturation," as well as "limb, craniofacial, neurological, and other abnormalities."

Rumeysa Gelgi and her sister back in 2014. Credit: Xinhua / Alamy

Gelgi also holds several other records, including: "The largest hands (female), the longest finger (female), and the longest back (female)," making her a five-time world record holder!

Given her height, however, Gelgi has been unable to do the things that many of us take for granted. While she can definitely reach the top shelf in the cereal aisle at the local supermarket, her unique predicament means that she has never been able to travel on an airplane - that is until Turkish Airlines gave her the chance.

Posting about her experience on Instagram, Gelgi documented her journey from Istanbul to San Francisco.

"A flawless journey from start to finish with Turkish Airlines. I have so many people to thank.. Air Clinic officials and officers, Istanbul Airport staff, @turkishairlines team, all cabin staff including our cabin supervisor, San Francisco International Airport officers and medical team, customs police and many other departments that I can't count," the [translated] caption began.

Gelgi added: "But unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to know the names of many people [...] who helped me with their kindness and dedication for 13 hours in the air for 19 hours in total and organized a 'first flight' celebration above the clouds.

"Therefore, I would like to thank firstly Mr. Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Turkish Airlines and then Mr. Ramazan Yaşa, the Manager of Customer Relations of Turkish Airlines who personally organized this whole process."

"This was my first plane ride but it certainly won't be my last. From now on it will be a great honor and pleasure to fly to different parts of the world with Turkish Airlines A heartfelt thank you to each and every person who has been a part of my journey. With my love," the post - which has racked up 1,800 likes - concluded.

The airline allegedly had to remove six seats in order to accommodate Gelgi - but it was all worth it. Turkish Airlines even responded underneath Gelgi's post, writing: "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 at Turkish Airlines."

Credit: Instagram.com

What an amazing thing for Turkish Airlines to do! Let's hope Gelgi gets to see much more of the world!

Featured image credit: Santi Rodriguez / Alamy

On most flights, even being slightly bigger than average can immediately pose problems, with leg and seat space limited in coach class on pretty much every airline.

So spare a thought for Rumeysa Gelgi, the world's tallest woman, who stands at just north of seven feet tall, making air travel pretty much impossible for her.

Well, until last year.

The world's tallest woman was given the chance of a lifetime when Turkish Airlines offered her the opportunity to fly on an airplane for the first time.

Rumeysa, from Turkey, broke the Guinness World Record as the tallest teenager in 2014, before graduating to the world's tallest living woman at the age of 18.

Now, at 26 years of age, Gelgi still reigns supreme as the tallest woman in the world at 7ft 0.7in, per Guinness World Records.

Her towering height is attributed to Weaver Syndrome, a condition that causes the individual to experience large birth size, accelerated growth, and skeletal maturation, as well as limb, craniofacial, neurological, and other abnormalities.

Gelgi also holds several other records, including the largest hands, the longest finger, and the longest back of a female, making her a five-time world record holder!

Given her height, however, Gelgi has been unable to do the things that many of us take for granted. While she can definitely reach the top shelf in the cereal aisle at the local supermarket, her unique predicament means that she was unable to travel on an airplane until Turkish Airlines stepped in to turn her dream into a reality.

Posting about her experience on Instagram, Gelgi documented her journey from Istanbul to San Francisco.

"A flawless journey from start to finish with Turkish Airlines. I have so many people to thank.. Air Clinic officials and officers, Istanbul Airport staff, @turkishairlines team, all cabin staff including our cabin supervisor, San Francisco International Airport officers and medical team, customs police and many other departments that I can't count," the [translated] caption began.

Gelgi added: "But unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to know the names of many people [...] who helped me with their kindness and dedication for 13 hours in the air for 19 hours in total and organized a 'first flight' celebration above the clouds.

"Therefore, I would like to thank firstly Mr. Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Turkish Airlines and then Mr. Ramazan Yaşa, the Manager of Customer Relations of Turkish Airlines who personally organized this whole process."

"This was my first plane ride but it certainly won't be my last. From now on it will be a great honor and pleasure to fly to different parts of the world with Turkish Airlines A heartfelt thank you to each and every person who has been a part of my journey. With my love," the post - which has racked up 1,800 likes - concluded.

The airline reportedly had to remove six seats in order to accommodate Gelgi - but it was all worth it to make memories for life. Turkish Airlines even responded underneath Gelgi's post, writing: "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 at Turkish Airlines."

Credit: Instagram

Since her maiden flight, Gelgi has posted further plane-based content on her Instagram page, suggesting that air travel is becoming a little bit more commonplace for her since her first trip.

File this one under "Things you love to see".

Featured Image Credit: Marcos del Mazo/Getty

In a meeting that really highlights the extraordinary variety and uniqueness within humanity, the tallest and shortest people in the world have come together for the first time in six years.

Sultan Kosen - the Guinness World Record holder for the tallest living man at a staggering 8 feet, 2 inches - and Jyoti Amge - recognized as the world's shortest woman at just over 2 feet tall - embarked on an extraordinary meeting in California.

The unlikely pair, hailing from Turkey and India respectively, met on Monday in Irvine, marking their first reunion in years - sparking a flurry of excitement and speculation about a potential film project.

The images captured from their breakfast encounter are nothing short of astonishing. Sultan - who towers over... well, everybody one the planet - sat comfortably while Jyoti stood next to him, barely reaching his knee. The contrast between the two is both striking and captivating, with their unlikely pairing creating a visual spectacle that defies belief.

Sultan and Joyti are the tallest and shortest living people on the planet. Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images Their union was full of smiles. Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images

According to reports from Turkey's Anadolu news agency, the duo's meeting was orchestrated by an American producer, who saw the potential for a film documenting their extraordinary connection. The prospect of a cinematic venture featuring Sultan and Jyoti has ignited curiosity and anticipation among fans worldwide, TMZ reports.

Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images

This isn't the first time Sultan and Jyoti have captivated audiences with their unprecedented pairing.

In 2018, they made headlines during a meeting in Egypt, where they posed in front of the iconic Great Sphinx of Giza, further solidifying their status as living wonders of our planet.

Sultan's remarkable height is caused by a tumor in his pituitary gland causing an excess of growth hormone, and has earned him the distinction of being the world's tallest man since 2009. Despite the challenges posed by his condition, Sultan continues to inspire awe wherever he goes.

The record holders first met in Egpyt in 2018. Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images

Meanwhile, Jyoti was bestowed the title of the world's shortest woman in 2011.

She lives with the diagnosis of achondroplasia, a rare form of dwarfism. Beyond her remarkable stature, Jyoti has made strides in the entertainment industry, even landing a role in the acclaimed series American Horror Story in 2014, cementing her status as not just the world's shortest woman, but also a talented actress defying stereotypes.

Per the Guinness World Records, back Jyoti met the world's shortest man ever back in 2012 - a gentleman named Chandra Bahadur Dangi, who was just 21.5 inches tall.

At the time of their meeting, she said: "When I met the shortest man in the world and got to know him, I felt very happy. I felt more included and more satisfied that there is somebody like me too."

Their meeting was the first time she had ever met an adult shorter than her.

When Chandra died in 2015, it meant that she assumed the title of the shortest living person on the planet.

Featured image credit: Anadolu via Getty Images

The world's tallest woman recently revealed that she can only lay fly laying down on a stretcher to travel.

Rumeysa Gelgi from Turkey currently holds the Guinness World Record for the world's tallest woman, standing at an incredible seven feet tall.

As per The Sun, the 25-year-old was born with Weaver syndrome, which is a genetic condition that causes bone overgrowth.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, people with Weaver syndrome are "usually very tall" and "may have distinct facial features, such as wide-set eyes." They may also have "intellectual or physical disabilities."

Rumeysa Gelgi, the world's tallest living woman returns home from the US, with a Turkish Airlines flight. Credit: Anadolu / Getty

Gelgi has some medical implications, including scoliosis, which affects the curvature of the spine. This comes with some other external physical issues, which the record holder only realized when she got on her first-ever flight from Turkey to California.

Due to her issues, Gelgi cannot sit up for any longer than two hours at a time, which meant that she was forced to lie down on a stretcher for the duration of her flight.

Speaking to the outlet in an exclusive interview, she said that Turkish Airlines had to close off six seats for her to travel.

Gelgi struggles to sit up for longer than two hours. Credit: Anadolu / Getty

"Lying down was the only possible option for me and also the safest option," she explained. "This was not an easy process. I mean, this is not what they do often. The option is only provided by a few airline companies in the world, and thankfully one of them was Turkish Airlines."

The 25-year-old explained that passengers were only usually allowed to use equipment if they were in "acute medical distress."

"I was probably the first person who used this option for tourism reasons," the seven-foot-woman added.

Gelgi has been battling with severe physical issues her entire life due to her stature, but after a life-changing surgery, she went from only being able to sit up for 20 minutes to now being able to do so for 2 hours.

"Now I am able to sit up for two hours at once, but it's not longer than that," she said, adding that after two hours she needs to lie down "because there's so much pressure on my back."

Rumeysa Gelgi is the world's tallest woman at 7ft tall. Credit: Anadolu / Getty

When talking of her future hopes to travel more, she said: "I'm really hoping to go on a trip to Los Angeles and nearby places. I would love to visit other states as well, but I don't know if I ever would have the opportunity," she said, adding that she cannot ride in standard cars because they're too small.

"I'm really so happy and proud to have this title because I really, really love sharing my story with the world, hopefully, to inspire others."

Featured Image Credit: Anadolu / Getty

For those of us that are particularly tall or short, there are plenty of positives and negatives. Having ample room for your legs when you're on a bus, train or plane is pretty great for those on the smaller side, but on the other hand, then you'll spend most of the time at gigs staring at others' backs and looking out for stray elbows lest they make contact with your face. But if you thought you had problems because you have to keep changing the level of the shower head, be thankful you don't have trouble getting in the shower at all, like Sultan Kösen, the world's tallest man. Kösen, a 35-year-old from Turkey, is both the current tallest man in the world and the man with the biggest hands. He took the title from Xi Shun, who measured at 7 feet 9 inches. Kösen broke the Guinness World Record in 2009 at 8 foot 1, but was measured at 8 foot 3 in 2011. Only ten people in history have reached eight feet, but Kösen's problem was that he kept on growing. He has pituitary gigantism, which results in an over-production of growth hormones. On the other side of the spectrum is Jyoti Amge, an Indian woman who measures at only two feet tall, making her the world's smallest woman. Amge was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra in 1993, taking the title at the age of 18 in 2011. Amge has a form of dwarfism called achondrplasia which causes her small stature, but has nonetheless lead a successful career as a presenter of shows such as Lo Show Dei Record and acting in the fourth season of American Horror Story in 2014. But now these two record-breakers have finally met, even taking part in a photoshoot in Egypt, set against the backdrop of Cairo's pyramids. The duo were invited by the country's tourism promotion board to take part in the photo op, as well as taking part in a conference at the Fairmont Nile City hotel in the city. Kösen, who was still growing as of 2011, has seemed to have halted his growth after taking part in a new treatment. Starting in 2010, he received Gamma Knife treatment for his pituitary tumour at the University of Virginia Medical School and was also provided with medication control the excessive levels of growth hormone - with the success of the treatment being confirmed in 2012. When he won the title of world's tallest man, he said: "I never imagined I would be in the book, I dreamed about it, but it was still a huge surprise". He has recently joined the Magic Circus of Samoa and participates in various shows around the world. The University of Virginia have also claimed that he may actually be 8 feet 4 inches, with the height affected by scoliosis and bad posture. So if their measurement techniques were to change, he could even break his own record one more time.