Qantas flight between Perth & Rome taken out of service for deep cleaning due to bed bugs

A Qantas flight between Italy and Australia got cancelled after passengers reportedly got bitten by bedbugs on the aircraft's earlier journey.

Passengers aboard the QF5 flight, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, from Perth to Rome on Oct. 9 were given antihistamines to treat the bites.

However, the medication reportedly ran out, according to Sydney Morning Herald.

The return flight from Rome to Perth on Oct. 10 was cancelled.

The aircraft was then sent for deep cleaning.

Affected passengers were provided with accommodation and rebooked on flights over the next 48 hours from their initial departure.

“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,” said a Qantas spokesperson.

Planes regularly cleaned: Qantas

Qantas added that their planes are regularly cleaned to a high standard, and are disinfected every 50 days as a precaution.

A deep clean of a plane to get rid of bed bugs requires fumigation.

This puts the plane out of service.

Perth to Rome popular

The Perth to Rome route is popular among passengers who are willing to pay extra for a non-stop flight between Australia and Italy.

Qantas has extended this service until Oct. 23, adding 40 extra services in that time.

Bed bugs on plane not uncommon

Bed bugs are small and not believed to transmit diseases to humans, but those allergic to their bites will experience swelling, welts and itchiness.

Their bites are known to be painless and cause welts that fade to a red spot.

Bed bugs on airplanes are uncommon, but not unheard of.

They were found on a British Airways flight from Vancouver to London in 2017, and again in 2024 on a Turkish Airways Flight from Johannesburg to Istanbul.