Passengers on a packed 16-hour flight were left itching after a bed bug outbreak forced a Qantas jet out of service and stranded travellers thousands of miles from home.
Incident on board flight QF5
Customers onboard flight QF5 from Perth to Rome claimed they were bitten by the blood-sucking insects during the journey on October 9, with some treated using antihistamines after landing. The situation became so widespread that the aircraft reportedly ran out of the medication.
The airline grounded the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and cancelled its return service while crews carried out an extensive deep clean and fumigation programme, according to The Mirror.
Airline response and passenger support
Passengers affected by the disruption were booked into hotels and transferred onto alternative services.
"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," a spokesperson for the carrier said.
Wider context and impact
Bed bugs, which feed on human blood and are often spread through luggage and clothing, can leave victims suffering from itchy, inflamed bites. The carrier is the latest airline to face such a problem after similar incidents were reported on British Airways and Turkish Airlines flights in recent years.
