How can a creature measuring less than one centimetre in length and weighing under 25 milligrams bring a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to a halt? The answer is likely to make travellers’ skin crawl.
Australian flag carrier Qantas was obliged to ground an international flight between Perth and Rome on Friday 9 October 2026, after bedbugs were found on board. The critters were discovered among seats at the front of the plane’s economy section, resulting in the aircraft being removed from service for deep cleaning on arrival in Italy, and causing the cancellation of the next day’s return.
Human passengers expecting to make the long-haul intercontinental trip were accommodated in the Italian capital and rebooked onto alternative flights within 48 hours of their planned trip. Meanwhile, a Qantas spokesperson said the aircraft in question was inspected by engineers and deep cleaned by maintenance staff. The airline issued an apology to affected flyers and insisted its fleet is cleaned thoroughly and disinfected every 50 days in line with standard practice.
Passengers traveling with Qantas from #Italy to #Australia failed to arrive in #Perth as planned over the weekend, after their flight was canceled due to a reported case of bedbugs. #avgeeks #aviationnews #airlines https://t.co/KLvEGlRY3d
— 🇬🇭🇸🇬alsaeed🇰🇪🇸🇱 (@alimsaeed604) October 13, 2026
An adult bedbug is a tiny parasitic insect resembling an apple seed in size and colour. Bedbugs are nocturnal and feed on human blood, capable of consuming many times their weight in one sitting and causing small blood stains on sheets and itchy welts on the victim. They do not spread disease and cannot fly (unless on an aircraft!) but move very quickly and, as they hide in dark crevices, can be hard to find—and even harder to eliminate, requiring washing at temperatures above 55°C and, often, fumigation. While they may be negatively associated with poverty and multi-occupancy buildings, they infest a range of environments and are frequently transported by unwitting international travellers.
The incident is not the first time bedbugs have made headlines in travel sector news. At the time of the Paris Olympics in 2024, hysteria abounded around bedbugs found and photographed on Paris transport systems. The United Kingdom is currently experiencing one of the worst bedbug outbreaks in years, various outlets have reported, with The Times citing a bedbug monitor which has found bedbug cases “rising by between 20 and 25 per cent a year in London and other big European cities.”
Southeastern train services, operating in the UK’s southern regions of East Sussex, Kent, and Greater London, were cancelled two weeks ago for cleaning, and a library in Eastbourne on the country’s “sunshine coast” was closed for cleaning after the creatures were found there too.
Anyone who thinks they have found bedbugs in their home should confirm the infestation, then attempt to contain the spread, clean and treat affected items, and contact a professional pest control service.
