Qantas Cancels Flight Due to Bedbug Infestation in Seats

WHO:

NY Post - Passengers on a Qantas flight from Perth to Rome reported being bitten by bedbugs.

Fox News - Hailey Bagnall, a passenger, described the bedbugs as "crawling over our belongings, our clothing, our Qantas blankets, and they were even crawling along the window."

Fox News - Benjamin Hottel, a Georgia-based entomologist with Orkin, provided insights on bedbugs.

WHAT:

NY Post - Qantas canceled a nearly 17-hour flight due to a bedbug infestation in the economy seats.

Fox News - Passengers reported being bitten by bedbugs on October 9 during the flight from Perth to Rome.

Fox News - Qantas issued an apology for the cancellation of the Rome-to-Perth service.

Fox News - The airline conducted a deep clean of the aircraft after identifying the issue on a small number of economy seats.

Fox News - Affected passengers were provided with hotel accommodations and rebooked on alternative flights within 48 hours.

WHERE:

NY Post - The flight was from Perth to Rome.

Fox News - The incident occurred on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

WHEN:

Fox News - The flight from Rome to Perth was scheduled to depart on October 10.

WHY:

Fox News - The cancellation was due to a bedbug infestation discovered in the cabin during an earlier flight.

HOW:

Fox News - Qantas staff took several preventative measures, including deep cleaning the cabin, removing seat coverings and soft furnishings, and cordoning off the impacted seats.

Fox News - Travelers were provided with antihistamines to alleviate itchy bites, although the crew eventually ran out of the medication.

(UPDATED October 17, 2026 08:56 UTC)

Qantas has canceled a nearly 17-hour flight from Rome to Perth due to a bedbug infestation discovered in the economy seats, affecting passengers who reported being bitten during the flight from Perth to Rome on October 9. One passenger, Hailey Bagnall, described the unsettling experience of bedbugs crawling over their belongings and clothing, while the airline has since conducted a deep clean of the aircraft and provided accommodations for affected travelers. In response to the situation, Qantas has apologized and rebooked passengers on alternative flights within 48 hours, while also offering antihistamines to help with the itchy bites.