Passengers on a nearly 17-hour flight from Perth to Rome spent hours dealing with itchy bedbug bites high in the air. The long journey on Friday took an uncomfortable turn when travelers noticed the insects in a small number of economy seats. Crew members gave out antihistamine medicines to ease the itching, but supplies reportedly ran out before the plane landed.
Because of the insects, Australian airline Qantas cancelled the return flight from Rome back to Perth on Saturday. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner remained on the ground so maintenance teams and engineers could carry out a deep clean of the aircraft. A company spokesperson apologized to customers for the disruption.
Qantas provided hotel rooms for all affected passengers in Rome and rebooked them on other flights within 48 hours of their original departure time. Bedbugs are tiny parasites that can hide in furniture, clothing, and bedding. While their bites are irritating rather than dangerous to health, removing them completely requires intensive cleaning.