Australia-bound Qantas flight cancelled after bedbugs found on economy seats

An Australia-bound Qantas flight was cancelled after a bedbug infestation was reported on the aircraft, prompting the airline to carry out a deep cleaning of the cabin before it could return to service.The incident occurred after passengers on a nearly 17-hour Qantas flight from Perth to Rome reported being bitten by bedbugs on October 9, The New York Post reported, citing accounts from passengers and other media reports.The airline subsequently cancelled the Rome-to-Perth service scheduled for October 10 to allow engineers and maintenance teams to thoroughly clean the aircraft.“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,” Qantas Airways Limited told Fox News Digital.Bedbugs are small insects that feed on human blood and can travel by attaching themselves to luggage, clothing and other personal belongings.Although bedbug bites can cause itching and swelling, the insects are not known to spread disease and are generally not considered a public health hazard.However, travellers can unknowingly carry bedbugs from aircraft to hotels and eventually into their homes.Passenger Hailey Bagnall told Australian broadcaster 9News Sydney that the insects were crawling over passengers’ belongings, clothes and blankets, and were even spotted along the windows.Other passengers also described the experience, with one saying they were woken by screaming, while another claimed the bugs “just kept coming”.Travellers reportedly discovered bedbugs inside their shoes and crawling on their clothing as they collected their belongings. According to 9News, passengers had alerted the flight crew to the insects during an earlier Sydney-to-Perth leg of the journey.What did Qantas do after the bedbug reports?Qantas said it took several precautionary measures before the aircraft's subsequent long-haul journey to Rome, including deep cleaning the cabin, removing seat coverings and soft furnishings, and cordoning off affected seats.The airline also said its aircraft are regularly cleaned to a high standard and undergo precautionary disinfectant treatment every 50 days.Passengers affected by the incident were reportedly given antihistamines to ease itching caused by the bites, although the supply eventually ran out, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.Following the cancellation of the return service, Qantas arranged hotel accommodation for affected travellers and rebooked them on alternative flights within 48 hours.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.