It's Probably for the Best This Qantas Flight Was Grounded

Passengers on a Qantas flight from Rome to Perth never got off the ground on Saturday, all due to bedbugs. The BBC reports that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was pulled from service after travelers on the prior 17-hour Perth-to-Rome leg complained of being bitten, with cabin crew handing out antihistamines until the supply ran out, per the Sydney Morning Herald. Qantas says the aircraft was then taken out of rotation for an intensive cleaning focused on "a small number of economy seats."

The airline apologized for the cancellation and said affected passengers received hotels and were rebooked within 48 hours. Bedbugs don't typically pose serious health risks, but they're notoriously hard and costly to eliminate, per the BBC—an issue that has repeatedly hit the travel industry, from British Airways to Turkish Airlines and even UK rail services. A Macquarie University parasitologist tells the Guardian that in the case of the Qantas flight, the bedbugs "more than likely" found their way onto the plane by hitching a ride in a passenger's clothing or luggage.