Qantas cancelled a Rome to Perth flight on Saturday so that a Boeing 787 Dreamliner could be deep cleaned after passengers reported bedbug bites on the previous leg.
Some passengers on Friday’s flight from Perth to Rome, a journey of nearly 17 hours, complained of being bitten, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. They were reportedly given antihistamines, but supplies ran out.
A Qantas spokesperson said engineers and maintenance teams carried out the deep clean after an issue was identified on a small number of economy seats.
All affected customers were given accommodation and rebooked on other flights within 48 hours of their original departure, the airline said.
Bedbug bites can be itchy but do not usually cause more serious health problems, according to the NHS. Infestations can be hard to remove.
The spokesperson apologised to customers for the cancellation.
