World's tallest woman pays for six seats on flights, faces accessibility issues at sites

Rumeysa, the world's tallest woman, navigates a world not built for her stature, facing unique challenges in air travel and cultural exploration.

For years, Rumeysa could not fly on standard commercial airlines. Her situation changed when Turkish Airlines removed six seats on one of their aircraft to install a special stretcher. This allowed her to fly for the first time in September 2022. Since then, she travels at least once a year, exclusively with the national carrier, as few airlines offer such accommodations.

Her journeys require her to be brought aboard via stretcher, spending the entire flight lying down. She must also arrive at the airport four hours early for medical personnel to assess her and pay for the space of six seats occupied by the stretcher. Despite visiting Spain, Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom, Rumeysa faces another hurdle: many historical sites lack accessibility for individuals with mobility impairments.

"It is sometimes painful to give up the opportunity to visit exceptional places and experience the charm of history simply because they are not adapted for people like me," she said. Due to spinal damage, even a minor fall could be dangerous, leading her to avoid unsafe locations. While she dreams of visiting Tokyo, Shanghai, and Seoul, her immediate desire is to see the historic Safranbolu old town in Turkey, close to her home, which remains inaccessible due to infrastructure limitations.

Rumeysa hopes for more innovative solutions for people with mobility restrictions to access historical sites. "Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn about the past, regardless of their mobility," she stated.