Qantas Grounds Flight to Rome After Bedbug Infestation Found on Boeing 787

Qantas has been forced to ground a plane in Rome after bedbugs were discovered on the aircraft on its way from Perth.

The parasitic insects were located in the front of the economy section of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as it made its journey from Perth to Rome for the QF5 flight on 9 October, a source with knowledge of the incident confirmed on Tuesday.

Bedbugs are small pests that feed on the blood of mammals—including humans—and are known for being particularly difficult to eradicate once established.

As first reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, the aircraft had to be removed from service for thorough cleaning after arriving in the Italian capital, causing the cancellation of the Qantas Rome‑to‑Perth service on 10 October.

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Qantas said the crew were placed out of service so that engineers and maintenance teams could carry out a deep clean after “an issue identified on a small number of economy seats”.

“A spokesperson noted the airline wants to sincerely apologise to customers for the service disruption.”

Affected passengers were provided with accommodation and rebooked onto alternative flights within 48 hours of their original departure, Qantas stated.

The carrier maintains that its cabin interiors are cleaned routinely to an exceptionally high standard and receive a disinfectant treatment every 50 days as a preventive measure.

Prof Michelle Power, a parasitologist at Macquarie University, explained: “The bedbugs were most likely brought on to the plane in someone’s luggage or on a passenger’s clothes and then escaped into the cabin.”

“They’re associated with travel. People may stay in a hotel that’s infested and, drawn by dark corners and human scents, slip into a suitcase.”

“Although not dangerous, their bites can be itchy and irritating, yet they are extremely resilient—they hide in fabric seams and cracks for extended periods without feeding.”

Power added: “There are two sides to bedbugs: affluent travellers who frequently acquire them and move them elsewhere, and communities facing health inequities who cannot afford costly pesticides or the energy required to heat rooms to the 55 °C necessary to kill them.”

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