Bedbugs found in plane's economy seats force major airline to cancel flight
Qantas Cancels Rome‑to‑Perth Flight After Bedbug Discovery on Earlier Leg
A Qantas Airways flight scheduled to depart Rome for Perth on Saturday, October 10, was cancelled after a bedbug infestation was found on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner during the earlier Sydney‑to‑Perth segment of the journey. The airline said the cancellation gave maintenance crews time to perform a deep clean of the aircraft.
The problem came to light when passengers on the 17‑hour flight reported bites and sightings of the insects on October 9. Hailey Bagnall, one of the passengers, told Sydney‑based television station 9News that the bedbugs were “crawling over our belongings, our clothing, our Qantas blankets, and they were even crawling along the window.” Other travellers recalled being “woken by screaming” and describing the bugs as “just keeping coming.”
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. After the initial leg of the trip, Qantas staff removed seat covers and soft furnishings from affected seats and cordoned off the area. The crew also supplied passengers with antihistamines; the medication was reportedly depleted during the flight. The airline explained that its planes undergo routine cleaning to a high standard and receive a precautionary disinfectant treatment every 50 days.
Qantas spokespersons apologized to customers, noting that the Rome‑to‑Perth service was cancelled to allow engineers and maintenance teams “to carry out a deep clean of the aircraft after an issue was identified on a small number of economy seats.” Passengers who were affected were offered hotel accommodations and rebooked on alternative flights within 48 hours.
Entomologist Benjamin Hottel of Orkin, who spoke to Fox News Digital about the incident, highlighted that bedbugs are adept at hitchhiking on personal belongings. He reminded travelers that while the insects can cause itching and swelling, they do not spread disease. Hottel advised checking luggage and clothing after trips and, if a potential infestation is suspected, running travel clothes in a dryer on high heat for 30 to 45 minutes to eliminate the insects before bringing them into the home.
