Qantas Airways Cancels Flight From Italy to Australia After Bedbugs Were Found in Economy-Class Seats

Qantas Airways has apologised after canceling a scheduled Rome-to-Perth flight to allow a thorough cleaning of its aircraft following reports of a bedbug infestation.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, passengers aboard the airline’s nearly 17-hour Perth-to-Rome flight reported being bitten by bedbugs on October 9.

Passengers told 9News Sydney that the insects were crawling over their belongings, clothing, blankets and aircraft windows. One passenger said they were “woken by screaming,” while another claimed “the bugs just kept coming.”

Some travellers reportedly discovered the pests inside their shoes and crawling on their clothes.

The bedbugs were first reported during an earlier Sydney-to-Perth flight. Before the subsequent journey to Rome, Qantas said it deep-cleaned the cabin, removed seat coverings and soft furnishings, and isolated affected seats.

However, the airline canceled the return Rome-to-Perth service scheduled for October 10 to allow further cleaning of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

“We sincerely apologize to customers for the cancellation of Saturday’s Rome-to-Perth service,” Qantas told Fox News Digital, explaining that the cleaning followed an issue identified on a small number of economy seats.

The airline added that its aircraft undergo regular cleaning and precautionary disinfectant treatment every 50 days.

Passengers were reportedly given antihistamines to relieve itching, although the medication eventually ran out. Those affected by the cancellation received hotel accommodation and were rebooked on alternative flights within 48 hours.