Qantas cancelled its flight from Rome to Perth on October 10, 2026, following reports of bedbug bites experienced by passengers on an earlier segment of the journey. The affected aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, was removed from service to undergo a thorough cleaning conducted by the airline’s engineering and maintenance teams.
Airline Response and Passenger Care
The airline provided hotel accommodation to passengers booked on the cancelled flight and rebooked them on alternative flights scheduled within 48 hours of the original departure time. Qantas apologised for the cancellation and confirmed the deep cleaning resulted from findings of bedbug presence on a limited number of economy
seats.
Bedbug Issue and Aircraft Cleaning Protocol
Bedbugs, small wingless insects that feed on blood, were reported to have infested a few economy seats on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. These pests can spread by hitching rides on clothing, luggage, and bedding materials. Qantas maintains a cleaning and disinfection routine for its aircraft approximately every 50 days as a precautionary measure against such infestations.
Passenger Impact and Health Context
The cancellation led to travel delays of up to two days for affected passengers traveling on the Rome to Perth route. The airline arranged necessary accommodations and rebookings to minimise inconvenience. Health authorities indicate that while bedbug bites may cause itching and welts,
they generally do not lead to serious health complications.
A Qantas spokesperson told Around Prague the airline grounded the aircraft to allow a comprehensive cleaning after detecting the issue in economy seating and expressed regret for the disruption caused to customers.
