The incident occurred after passengers travelling from Perth to Rome on Friday, 9 October, complained of being bitten by insects during the nearly 17-hour journey, according to the BBC and Australian media reports.
The complaints prompted concerns among passengers and led to measures to relieve the discomfort caused by the bites and affected passengers were reportedly given antihistamines to help ease the itching, but the available supplies eventually ran out.
The aircraft was subsequently grounded in Rome so that engineers and maintenance teams could carry out a deep clean before it returned to service. The cancellation disrupted travel plans for passengers scheduled to fly back to Australia.
A Qantas spokesperson apologised for the disruption, saying the decision was necessary after an issue was identified in a small number of economy-class seats.
“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,” the spokesperson told the BBC.
The airline said all affected passengers were provided with accommodation and rebooked on alternative flights within 48 hours of their original departure times.
Bedbugs have the ability to conceal themselves, which makes them difficult to detect and eliminate, especially in environments where many people and their belongings come into contact.
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), bedbug bites can cause itchy marks and, in some cases, swelling or more pronounced skin reactions. Although the bites do not usually cause serious health problems, scratching the affected areas can lead to skin infections.
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