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A Qantas flight from Rome to Perth was cancelled due to bed bugs found on the plane that had flown the route earlier, delaying some passengers by up to two days. On October 9, passengers on the outbound flight complained about being bitten and were treated with antihistamines; however, upon return, Qantas cancelled the flight for a deep clean of the aircraft. The airline provided accommodation and rebooked affected passengers within 48 hours. This incident highlights the challenges airlines face in maintaining hygiene standards, especially on long-haul routes like Perth to Rome.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 9, passengers on a Qantas flight (QF5) from Perth to Rome complained of being bitten by bed bugs. Due to the outbreak, the return flight (QF6) from Rome to Perth was canceled on Saturday, allowing the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to undergo a deep cleaning. Passengers were rebooked within 48 hours on alternative flights. The Perth-Rome route is popular and non-stop, attracting passengers willing to pay a premium for direct connections between Australia and Italy. Qantas extended this seasonal flight service from May 3 to October 23, adding around 10,000 seats in total.
Written for “Bed Bugs Disrupt Flight” on 2026-10-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
An outbreak of bed bugs has forced the cancellation of a Qantas flight from Rome to Perth, delaying some passengers by as much as two days.
asserted
outbreak → force → days
The drama began when passengers aboard QF5 travelling from Perth to Rome on October 9 complained of being bitten by bugs.
asserted
passengers → begin → bugs
On medical advice, they were given antihistamines, but the plane reportedly ran out.
uncertain
plane → give → antihistamines
The return flight, QF6 from Rome to Perth on Saturday, was cancelled and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner booked for cleaning.
asserted
Dreamliner → cancel → cleaning
Passengers were given accommodation and rebooked on alternative flights within 48 hours of their original departure, Qantas said.
asserted
Qantas → give → departure
A spokesperson for the airline said: “We sincerely apologise to customers for the cancellation of Saturday’s Rome to Perth service, which allowed our 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.”
asserted
issue → say → seats
The Perth-Rome route is a popular non-stop flight that attracts passengers from the east coast who are willing to pay a premium for the direct connection between Australia and Italy.
asserted
who → attract → Australia
Qantas extended the seasonal flight service from May 3 to October 23, adding 40 extra services and close to 10,000 seats in that time.
uncertain
Qantas → extend → time
The wingless parasites feed exclusively on blood, preferring human blood, and spread via clothing, furniture and belongings.
asserted
parasites → feed → clothing
“Bed bugs are not believed to transmit diseases to humans,” according to the state government’s Better Health Victoria website.
uncertain
bugs → believe → website
“Their bite typically causes a large, reddened and itchy weal that fades to a red spot.”
asserted
that → cause → spot
Bed bug bites are painless, Better Health says, and “some people do not react to the bites, but for others the bites can become itchy and swell into reddened weals [or welts].”
asserted
bites → say → weals
Qantas said its aircraft cabins are cleaned regularly and to an extremely high standard.
asserted
cabins → say → standard
A deep clean of a plane to rid it of bed bugs requires fumigation, taking the plane out of service.
asserted
clean → rid → service
The airline said that as a matter of course, Qantas aircraft are disinfected every 50 days as a precaution.
asserted
aircraft → say → precaution
In a 2017 example, bed bugs were found on a British Airways flight from Vancouver to London.
asserted
bugs → find → London
In 2024 passengers on a Turkish Airways flight from Johannesburg to Istanbul reported an outbreak of the bugs.
asserted
passengers → report → bugs
Better Health Victoria reports that “although bedbugs can harbour diseases in their bodies, transmission to humans is highly unlikely”.
asserted
transmission → report → humans
They are not dangerous, unless a person is allergic to them, the health service said.
asserted
service → say → them
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