Qantas cancelled its Rome to Perth flight on Saturday, October 13, 2026, after passengers reported bedbug bites on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner used for the route. The airline took the aircraft out of service for a thorough deep clean following the complaint involving a small number of economy seats.
Passengers booked on the cancelled flight received accommodation arranged by Qantas and were rebooked on alternative flights scheduled within 48 hours of the original departure time. The airline issued an apology for the disruption caused by the cancellation.
Aircraft Cleaning and Maintenance
Qantas stated that engineers and maintenance staff conducted the deep cleaning after identifying
the bedbug issue. The airline maintains a schedule of regular cleaning and disinfects its aircraft every 50 days as a preventative measure against infestations and contamination.
Bedbug Health and Removal Challenges
Bedbugs are small, wingless insects that feed on blood and can spread via clothing, luggage, and bedding. According to health authorities, including the NHS and Australia’s Victorian Better Health Channel, bedbug bites cause itching but rarely lead to serious medical conditions and are not known to transmit diseases to humans. Removal of bedbugs from environments such as aircraft cabins is difficult and costly, requiring comprehensive cleaning and disinfection procedures.
