Qantas canceled a flight from Rome to Perth due to bed bugs on board the plane

On Saturday, the Australian airline Qantas canceled a flight from Rome to Perth after bed bugs were discovered on board the aircraft. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was temporarily taken out of service for thorough cleaning and treatment.

The day before, the plane had completed a nearly 17-hour flight from Perth to Rome. During the flight, some passengers complained of insect bites.

According to the publication, those affected were given antihistamines, but the supply of medication eventually ran out.

Qantas explained that bed bugs were discovered on a small number of economy-class seats. To resolve the issue, the company decided to cancel the return flight and conduct a complete disinfection of the aircraft.

The flight cancellation allowed engineers and technicians to thoroughly clean the aircraft.

Passengers were provided with accommodations and had their tickets rebooked onto other flights. In this way, the airline arranged alternative travel options while the necessary work was carried out.

Bed bugs are small, wingless parasites that can live in clothing, furniture, and bedding. They feed on the blood of humans and animals, and their bites can cause itching and skin irritation.

According to the UK’s National Health Service, bed bug bites do not usually lead to serious health consequences, although they can cause unpleasant symptoms.

In the case of the Qantas flight, the airline decided to temporarily ground the aircraft to treat it and resolve the issue.

This was reported by the BBC.

Earlier in Malaysia, the low-cost carrier Firefly extended the cancellation of flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore through Wednesday due to smog from fires in Indonesia.

Polish carrier PKP Intercity will introduce a new schedule for the 2026/2027 season starting in December, which will include 600 daily connections. This is 69 more trips than in the previous season. In the summer, the number of daily trips is expected to rise to 622.