A Qantas Dreamliner flight on Oct. 10 from Rome to Perth has forcefully been pulled out of service after a shocking bedbug infestation was discovered onboard. Passengers are left scratching their heads (and their bodies) as to how they can get home.
Mid-air outbreak
Onboard the Oct. 9 flight from Perth to Rome, passengers reported feeling as though they were being bitten by bugs during their 17 hour journey; flight attendants responded by providing antihistamine tablets, however quickly ran out of supply. As a bedbug infestation cannot simply be seen by the naked eye, the pause of discomfort was not quickly detected, leaving passengers feeling uneasy.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner service from Rome to Perth on Oct. 10 was subsequently cancelled after a thorough cleaning inspection of the aircraft took place where bedbugs were discovered “on a small number of” the economy section’s front row as a Qantas spokesperson told the BBC. The spokesperson went on to explain:
“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…”
In responce
All stranded passengers were reportedly settled into local hotels and provided with alternative means of returning home within 48 hours after the event. The airline assures that their aircrafts receive regular hygienic maintenance to a high standard, promising a disinfecting treatment every 50 days as per industry standard.
Commonly spread through clothing and luggage, bedbugs are tiny flesh-eating parasites, and while their bites may be uncomfortable they do not cause longterm health defects. Bedbug infestations are not unique having proven to be a reoccurring travel inconvenience as previously reported on airlines such as British Airways and Turkish Airlines flights – even most recently on multiple train services within the southeast of England.
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