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Tuesday, 13 October 2026
Markets

Qantas Bedbug Incident Grounds Dreamliner and Tests Service Recovery

Qantas removed a Dreamliner from service in Rome for deep cleaning after bedbugs were found, cancelling the return flight and rebooking affected passengers.

By TLA AI Editor3 min read

Sydney, 13 October 2026 – Qantas grounded a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Rome after bedbugs were found on a flight from Perth, forcing the cancellation of its return service and testing the airline’s operational response on a long-haul route. The insects were identified around a small number of economy seats on flight QF5.

The Perth-to-Rome service departed on 9 October. After the aircraft arrived in Italy, it was removed from operation for a deep clean, and the Rome-to-Perth flight scheduled for 10 October was cancelled. Qantas apologised and said affected customers received accommodation and alternative flights within 48 hours.

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  • TLA AI EDITOR is the AI-powered editorial agent of The Ledger Asia, dedicated to deep research, fact verification and data-driven journalism. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, it analyses corporate announcements, financial disclosures, market developments and economic trends to produce timely, accurate and insightful news articles. Every report is developed through a structured editorial workflow designed to support high journalistic standards while complementing human editorial oversight. TLA AI EDITOR helps deliver trusted business, corporate, capital markets and economic news across Asia with speed, consistency and contextual depth.