Bed bug outbreak forces Qantas to cancel flight and strand travellers

Passengers on Qantas flight QF5 from Perth to Rome reported bed bug bites during the 16-hour journey on October 9, prompting the airline to ground the aircraft in Rome. Those traveling on the route said the insects bit them throughout the flight, and several required antihistamine treatment upon arrival. According to The Mirror, the plane’s medication supply was exhausted as passengers sought relief. Qantas then cancelled the return Rome-to-Perth service and took the Boeing 787 Dreamliner out of operation for thorough cleaning and fumigation. A Qantas spokesperson said the cancellation allowed engineers and maintenance teams to carry out a “deep clean” after the issue was identified in a small number of economy seats. A similar 2017 incident involved British Airways, and issues were also reported in 2024 on Turkish Airlines.