Smoking At Airports: Is It Allowed?

can i smoke at airport

Smoking is a health hazard, but many airports around the world still cater to smokers by providing designated smoking areas. These areas are typically located outdoors near ticketing and baggage claim, or inside airport bars and restaurants. Some airports, such as Munich Airport, have smoking lounges in the non-public area behind security check. Other airports with smoking lounges include Frankfurt Airport, Kolkata Airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. While some airports in the US, such as Las Vegas and Atlanta, still have smoking rooms, most have removed them. In Canada, smoking is only allowed in designated outdoor areas at airports, with Vancouver International Airport being the only one that allows cannabis consumption.

Characteristics Values
Smoking inside airports Some airports have smoking rooms/lounges, while others only allow smoking in designated outdoor areas.
Smoking in airport restaurants Some airports have designated smoking areas in airport restaurants.
Locations of smoking rooms/lounges Smoking rooms/lounges are located throughout the airport, including in the departures and arrivals terminals, the transit area, and the non-public area behind security check.
Number of smoking rooms/lounges The number of smoking rooms/lounges varies by airport, ranging from a single lounge to 19 lounges in one terminal.
Amenities in smoking rooms/lounges Some smoking rooms/lounges provide matches and ashtrays, while others sell handcrafted cigars and tobacco products. Some lounges are also fitted with smoke extractors.
Countries with airport smoking rooms/lounges Germany, India, Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey, United States, and more.

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Smoking lounges at airports

Smoking is banned in most airports in the United States and in enclosed public spaces in the Netherlands. However, some airports do provide smoking lounges for smokers to relax and smoke before or after a long flight. These lounges are usually fitted with smoke extractors and are located in the departures terminals throughout the airport. Some airports even provide matches and ashtrays.

For example, there is a spacious smoking lounge at Kolkata Airport, equipped with multiple exhaust smoke extraction systems, which can accommodate 20 people at once. It is located near aerobridge gate number 25. Similarly, Mumbai Airport in India has smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals. In Terminal 1, the arrival hall is located next to Belt Five, and departures are between Gates 26 and 27. In Terminal 2, smoking lounges are located in the Level 4 retail area, Gate 28 (international departures), Level 3 retail, Gate 42, and Gate 47 (domestic departures). There are also additional lounges in the arrivals hall on Level 2, between baggage belts 1 and 2, near Belt 5, and near Belt 12.

Another airport with smoking lounges is Frankfurt Airport, which provides a pleasant ambiance for smokers to relax and smoke in comfortable chairs. Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, also has a smoking area.

In the United States, Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas permits smoking. Additionally, Atlanta Airport in the US previously had smoking rooms, but it is unclear if these are still available.

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Airports with outdoor smoking areas

While smoking is prohibited in most public areas of airports, some airports do provide designated smoking areas for travellers who wish to smoke before boarding their flights. These designated areas are usually indoor smoking lounges, but some airports also provide outdoor smoking areas.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has at least two smoking lounges in each of its concourses. These lounges can be found at Concourse B7, B24, C15, C28, D5, D7, E8, E17, and E30. In addition, travellers can also enjoy a beer with their smoke at the Heineken Bar & Grill in the centre of Concourse A.

McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas)

McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas has several smoking areas throughout the airport. In Terminal 1, smoking is allowed above baggage claim and in the Great Hall near Terminal D. In Terminal 3, smoking is permitted between gates E1 and E14. Travellers can also enjoy a drink with their smoke at the Budweiser Racing Track Bar & Grill by gate C7.

Tampa International Airport

Tampa International Airport is one of the few airports in the United States that allows travellers to go outside for a smoke without having to go back through security.

Washington Dulles International Airport

Washington Dulles International Airport has smoking lounges located across from gates B37, C2, and D30. The airport also offers a variety of dining and drinking options.

Kolkata Airport

Kolkata Airport in India has a spacious smoking lounge with multiple exhaust smoke extraction systems. The lounge is located near aerobridge gate number 25 and can accommodate up to 20 people at once.

Ataturk Airport (Istanbul, Turkey)

Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, provides smoking lounges located throughout the airport, in both the departure and arrival terminals. In Terminal 1, the smoking lounge is located in the arrival hall next to Belt Five, and in departures between Gates 26 and 27. In Terminal 2, smoking lounges can be found at Level 4 retail, Gate 28 (international departures), Level 3 retail, Gate 42, and Gate 47 (domestic departures). Additional lounges can be found in the arrivals hall on Level 2, between baggage belts 1 and 2, near Belt 5, and near Belt 12.

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Airports with indoor smoking areas

While smoking is prohibited in most airports, there are still a few airports that provide designated indoor smoking areas.

Las Vegas International Airport

Las Vegas International Airport has the most areas where smoking is permitted. These include Barney's Lounge (C gates), the Budweiser Racing Track Lounge in the Esplanade Pre-Security area, and enclosed gaming lounges at B, C, D, and E Gates. There are also designated outdoor smoking areas near ticketing and baggage claim.

Miami International Airport

Miami International Airport permits smoking in an 'open-air' atrium attached to the airport's TGI Fridays restaurant near Gate D-36. However, it does not allow e-cigarette use indoors.

Nashville International Airport

Nashville International Airport allows smoking in the Travelers Post, Concourse B.

Kolkata Airport

Kolkata Airport in India has a spacious smoking lounge with multiple exhaust smoke extraction systems. The lounge is located near aerobridge gate number 25 and can accommodate 20 people at once.

Ataturk Airport, Istanbul

Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, provides smoking lounges with matches and ashtrays for travellers who want to smoke before their flight or during a layover.

Mumbai Airport

Mumbai Airport in India has smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals. In Terminal 1, the smoking lounges are located in the arrival hall next to Belt Five and between Gates 26 and 27 for departures. Terminal 2 has lounges at Level 4 retail, Gate 28 (international departures), Level 3 retail, and Gates 42 and 47 (domestic departures). There are also additional lounges in the arrivals hall on Level 2, near Bag Belts 1, 2, and 12.

It is important to note that the availability and location of smoking areas may change over time, and it is always a good idea to check the airport's website or contact them directly for the most up-to-date information. Additionally, some countries may have restrictions on bringing cigarettes into the country, so it is important to familiarise yourself with the relevant laws and regulations.

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Airports with smoking rooms

While many airports have banned smoking indoors, there are still several airports around the world that provide smoking lounges.

Frankfurt Airport

Frankfurt Airport has a smoking lounge with comfortable seating and a pleasant ambiance for smokers to enjoy.

Kolkata Airport

Kolkata Airport in India has a spacious smoking lounge with multiple exhaust smoke extraction systems. The lounge can accommodate 20 people and is located near aerobridge gate number 25.

Ataturk Airport, Istanbul

Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, has smoking lounges located throughout the airport, complete with matches and ashtrays.

Mumbai Airport

Mumbai Airport in India has smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals. In Terminal 1, the smoking lounges are located in the arrival hall next to Belt Five and between Gates 26 and 27 for departures. Terminal 2 has lounges at Level 4 retail, Gate 28 (international departures), Level 3 retail, and Gates 42 and 47 (domestic departures). There are also additional lounges in the arrivals hall on Level 2, near baggage belts 1, 2, 5, and 12.

Unnamed Airport

One airport, which is not named in the source, has a smoking lounge located in the transit area of Terminal T1. The lounge is spacious, fitted with smoke extractors, and can accommodate many passengers. The Graycliff Cigar Company also offers two in-house smoking lounges at this airport: one at Concourse B by Gate B-10 and the other at Concourse C by Gate C-10. These lounges have a small entry fee and sell handcrafted cigars and tobacco products.

It is important to note that the availability of smoking lounges at airports is subject to change, and some airports that previously had smoking rooms may have removed them. Additionally, while not all airports provide smoking rooms, some may offer designated outdoor smoking areas.

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Smoking on a plane

Smoking on an aircraft while in flight, or "inflight smoking", is prohibited by almost all airlines and by many governments around the world. The ban on inflight smoking has been imposed gradually around the world since the 1980s, with bans on cigar and pipe smoking on aircraft in the US being enacted in 1976, and the first airline to create a non-smoking section was United Airlines in 1971. The first full ban on inflight smoking was implemented by Canada in 1994, covering all flights operated by Canadian carriers, and in 1995 the US, Canada, and Australia agreed to ban smoking on international flights between those countries. In 1994, Delta became the first US airline to ban smoking on all worldwide flights. In the US, tobacco companies and airlines fought any regulation.

In China, smoking on domestic flights was banned in 1983, and in 1993, the country announced that all flights would be smoke-free by January 1995. However, these bans only applied to passengers smoking in the cabin, and pilots were allowed to smoke in the cockpit. A total ban on inflight smoking was announced in 2017, with individual airlines given two years to implement the ban in the cockpit, but this concession was scrapped in 2019 following incidents that triggered safety concerns.

While it is prohibited, some passengers still choose to smoke on planes, often in the aircraft toilets due to their nicotine addiction. The consequences for violating the smoking ban on airplanes can include significant penalties, such as fines, and in some cases even imprisonment. Additionally, due to stringent security measures, a flight may have to be diverted or a scheduled landing expedited upon arrival at the destination airport to escort the smoker from the plane.

For smokers, there are alternatives to help reduce the craving for a cigarette on long-haul flights, such as nicotine replacement products, chewing gum, lozenges, or planned stopovers.

Frequently asked questions

As of 2024, nearly all U.S. hub airports are 100% smoke-free indoors. Some airports in other countries also have smoke-free policies indoors, such as in the Netherlands. However, some airports in other countries like Germany have designated indoor smoking areas.

Some airports have designated outdoor smoking areas, such as Vancouver International Airport in Canada, and some airports in the U.S. like Indianapolis.

Yes, as of 2013, there were a handful of airports in the U.S. that allowed indoor smoking, such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas), and Tampa International Airport.

Yes, as of 2023, there are airports outside of the U.S. that allow indoor smoking, such as Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, India, and Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands.

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