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Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@rumeysagelgi
Topics: US News, Travel, World News
Dominic Smithers
The world's tallest woman was ecstatic after taking a flight on a plane for the very first time.
Standing at seven feet tall, world record holder Rumeysa Gelgi boarded a flight from Istanbul to San Francisco.
And in order to make the 13-hour journey, crew on the Turkish Airlines flight had to remove six rows of seat.
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Due to a condition called scoliosis, Rumeysa is unable to sit for a long time and had to lie on a bed.
Ahead of the trip of a lifetime, she spoke to reporters at Istanbul Airport about how she was feeling.
She said: "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."
Following the flight, Rumeysa shared a few photos of her onboard.
Thanking the crew and the airline for setting up the trip, she said it was an incredible experience.
"A flawless journey from start to finish. There are so many people I have to thank.. @turkishairlines officials and staff, @igairport staff, @airclinic team, all cabin personnel, especially our cabin chief, @flysfo officers and medical team, customs police and many other departments that I can't count.
"Unfortunately, however, I did not have the chance to learn the names of many people who helped me with kindness and devotion for 13 hours in the air for a total of 19 hours, and who organised the celebration of the 'first flight' above the clouds.
"For this reason, I would like to thank firstly to Mr. Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board of @turkishairlines, and then to Mr. Ramazan Yaşa, Customer Relations Manager of @turkishairlines, who personally organised this whole process.
"This was my first flight, but it certainly won't be the last. From now on, I will be very honoured and happy to fly to different parts of the world with @turkishairlines."
Adding: "A heartfelt thank you to every single person involved in my journey. With love."
Prior to her flight, Rumeysa celebrated smashing three new world records.
After recently being measured, she became the woman with the largest hands, as well as the longest fingers and back of any female on the planet.
Her right hand measures 24.93cm long, with the average female hand usually measuring around 17cm.