Qantas cancels Rome-Perth flight for deep clean after bedbug complaints on Perth-Rome leg
Qantas cancelled its 10 October Rome-to-Perth service so a Boeing 787 could be deep cleaned after passengers on the 9 October flight from Australia reported bedbug bites. Affected customers were given accommodation and rebooked within 48 hours.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2Qantas cancelled its Rome-to-Perth service on Saturday 10 October after passengers on the preceding flight from Australia to Italy reported being bitten by bedbugs. The IndependentLC “leading to the cancellation of the return flight scheduled for 10 October.” Read at The Independent ↗ Daily MirrorL “Qantas cancelled the return service on Saturday and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been withdrawn from operation for thorough cleaning and fumigation.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Left · 2The Independent reports the Boeing 787 was operating a 17-hour flight on 9 October when economy passengers complained to crew of bites, according to a Qantas spokesperson. The Daily Mirror describes the flight as QF5 from Perth to Rome and gives the journey as 16 hours. The IndependentLC “passengers in the economy section complained to crew that they had been bitten by bedbugs, a Qantas spokesperson said.” Read at The Independent ↗ Daily MirrorL “Qantas's QF5 from Perth to Rome on October 9 reported being bitten by the insects during the journey.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Left · 2A Qantas spokesperson apologised for the cancellation, saying it allowed engineers and maintenance teams to deep clean the aircraft after an issue was identified on a small number of economy seats. The IndependentLC “after an issue was identified on a small number of economy seats” Read at The Independent ↗ Daily MirrorL “We sincerely apologise to customers for the cancellation of Saturday's Rome to Perth service” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Left · 2Customers affected by the cancellation were reportedly given accommodation and moved to alternative services within 48 hours of their scheduled departure. The IndependentLC “provided accommodation and rebooked on alternative flights within 48 hours of their scheduled departure.” Read at The Independent ↗ Daily MirrorL “Those impacted received hotel accommodation and were transferred to alternative services within 48 hours of their scheduled departure.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Left · 1The Mirror adds that passengers were treated with antihistamine on medical guidance and that the aircraft reportedly ran out of the medication, and that the plane is being cleaned and fumigated. Qantas's statement as quoted does not mention these points. Daily MirrorL “the aircraft reportedly exhausted its supply of the medication”“withdrawn from operation for thorough cleaning and fumigation” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ Left · 1The Independent says Qantas cleans its aircraft regularly, disinfecting them every 50 days as a precaution. It cites Victoria's Better Health Channel as saying bedbugs are not believed to transmit disease, though bites can cause itching, redness and swelling. The IndependentLC “Qantas says it cleans its aircraft regularly, disinfecting them every 50 days as a precaution.”““bed bugs are not believed to transmit diseases to humans”” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 2Both outlets place the incident in a wider history of airline infestations. The Mirror cites a 2017 British Airways Vancouver-London flight and a 2024 Turkish Airlines Johannesburg-Istanbul flight, while the Independent cites a December 2025 lawsuit by a family against KLM and Delta over a US-Europe flight. Daily MirrorL “Bed bugs were discovered on a British Airways service from Vancouver to London in 2017” Read at Daily Mirror ↗ The IndependentLC “The family sued the airline and its American partner Delta Air Lines” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1The Mirror notes that Perth-Rome is a popular non-stop route that Qantas has extended to late October with 40 extra flights and nearly 10,000 extra seats. Daily MirrorL “Qantas has stretched the seasonal service until late October by introducing 40 additional flights and nearly 10,000 extra seats.” Read at Daily Mirror ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets lead with stranded passengers and the cancelled flight, relaying Qantas's statement and adding background on bedbugs and earlier airline incidents.
- Emphasis
- The Independent stresses Qantas's apology, cleaning practice and health information; the Mirror stresses passenger bites, the antihistamine shortage and the route's popularity.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither gives the number of passengers affected or independent confirmation of the extent of the infestation. They differ on flight length (17 vs 16 hours) and the Independent's headline and opening line say the flight was from Italy to Australia, while its body says Australia to Italy.
- Charged language
- “outbreak”“stranded”“bed bug crisis”
- For example
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“Passengers stranded in Italy after bedbug outbreak grounds long-haul flight to Australia” — The Independent
“Qantas isn't the first airline to encounter a bed bug crisis.” — Daily Mirror
Centre2 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Qantas cancelled the 10 October Rome-to-Perth service.
- The Boeing 787 was taken out of service for a deep clean after passengers reported bites on the 9 October flight.
- Affected passengers were given accommodation and rebooked within 48 hours.
Where accounts differ
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Flight details
- Left
- The Independent says a 17-hour flight with no flight number; the Mirror says QF5 and 16 hours. The Independent's headline and lede describe the flight as going to Australia, while its text describes Australia to Italy.
Qantas organisation
Qantas apologised for the cancellation and said it let engineers deep clean the aircraft after an issue on a small number of economy seats; it says it cleans aircraft regularly.
“We sincerely apologise to customers for the cancellation of Saturday’s Rome to Perth service” — The Independent
“Qantas says it cleans its aircraft regularly” — The Independent
Left2 articles
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Passengers stranded in Italy after bedbug outbreak grounds long-haul flight to Australia
Neutral Straightforward report built on Qantas's statement, with health background and a prior KLM/Delta bedbug lawsuit.
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Return flight cancelled after bed bug outbreak mid-air during 16-hour journey
Mixed Passenger-focused account highlighting bites and the antihistamine shortage, framed as part of airline bed bug 'crises'.
Centre2 articles
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 12 Oct 22:01 First BBC NewsN Qantas flight grounded after bedbug outbreak
- 13 Oct 06:11 +8h 9m The IndependentLC Passengers stranded in Italy after bedbug outbreak grounds long-haul flight to Australia
- 13 Oct 07:02 +9h 1m Daily MirrorL Return flight cancelled after bed bug outbreak mid-air during 16-hour journey
- 13 Oct 08:05 +10h 4m CNAN Qantas plane grounded after passengers complain of bedbug bites
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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