Owais Crawford
Smoking is a health hazard and is banned in many public places. Most airports around the world are completely smoke-free, including major hubs in Asia such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Bangkok. However, some airports still have designated smoking areas, including indoor smoking lounges and outdoor smoking areas. These lounges are usually fitted with smoke extractors and can be found in airports in Germany, India, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United States, and more. While smoking is permitted in these designated areas, it is important to consider the health risks associated with secondhand smoke exposure, which can affect both travelers and airport employees.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Smoking in airports | A public health hazard |
| Smoking areas in airports | Designated smoking areas/lounges are available in some airports |
| Smoking areas in airports (cont.) | Some airports have smoking areas in outdoor spaces, gaming lounges, and airport bars and restaurants |
| Airports with smoking areas | Mumbai, India; Nashville, US; Miami, US; Las Vegas, US; Munich, Germany; Frankfurt, Germany; Vienna, Austria; Lisbon, Portugal |
| Airports without smoking areas | Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok, most US hub airports, including Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, and Newark |
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What You'll Learn
Smoking lounges at airports
Smoking is a health hazard and second-hand smoke in airports can trigger heart attacks, strokes or asthma attacks in at-risk travellers. Long-term exposure increases the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases for airport workers. As a result, many airports around the world are now completely smoke-free, including major hubs in Asia such as Beijing, Shanghai and Bangkok, as well as most airports in the US, including Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, Newark, Washington Dulles and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson.
However, there are still some airports that provide smoking lounges, including:
- Mumbai Airport in India, which has smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals.
- An unnamed airport with a smoking lounge in the transit area of Terminal T1.
- An unnamed airport with 14 smoking lounges in Terminal 1 and 19 in Terminal 2.
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, which permits smoking in the enclosed gaming lounges by the B, C, D and E Gates.
- Miami International Airport, which permits smoking in an open-air atrium attached to TGI Friday's restaurant on Concourse D.
- Nashville International Airport, which has the Travelers Post Smoke Smoking Lounge near Gate B10, where they serve wine, beer, liquor, coffee, cigars and other items.
- An unnamed airport with a smoking lounge outside Schiphol Plaza, as well as lounges inside airport bars.
- Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey.
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Health hazards of smoking in airports
Smoking is a health hazard and has been associated with 50% of mortality among smokers. It is a major contributing factor to respiratory infection, severely damaging respiratory organs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has affirmed that airport smoking rooms do not stop secondhand smoke from spreading throughout a building, and that small, poorly ventilated designated smoking areas can accelerate the spread of infectious diseases, particularly respiratory infections.
The particulate matter (PM) of air inside designated smoking areas at airports is 15 times higher than the level recommended by the WHO, which poses a higher risk of infection spread among smokers in these confined spaces. Exposure to secondhand smoke, even at low levels, can trigger heart attacks, strokes, or asthma attacks in at-risk individuals. Long-term exposure increases the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases for airport workers.
While some airports have completely banned smoking, others have designated smoking areas or lounges, both before and after security. These lounges are often fitted with smoke extractors and located in the departures terminals. Some airports provide mobile apps to help passengers locate these smoking areas, along with maps and information on smoking policies.
The tobacco industry has fought relentlessly to keep smoking rooms in airports, and these rooms generate revenue through fees and tobacco sales. However, the costs of maintaining these areas and ensuring compliance with health regulations must be considered. Airports must balance the benefits of providing smoking facilities with the priority of ensuring a pleasant experience for non-smokers.
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Countries where smoking is allowed in airports
Smoking is detrimental to health and has been increasingly regulated across the world in recent decades. Despite this, designated smoking rooms (DSRs), lounges, and other indoor smoking areas still exist in major airports. In fact, a review of smoking policies in airports around the world found that 52.9% of the airports reviewed had indoor smoking rooms or smoking areas.
India
Mumbai's airport in India has smoking lounges located throughout the airport, in both the departure and arrival terminals.
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands, smoking is banned in enclosed public spaces. However, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam has a smoking lounge located in the transit area of Terminal T1. There are also smoking areas outside Schiphol Plaza before passport control, and inside airport bars after passport control.
United States
Most airports in the United States are completely smoke-free. However, there are still a few US airports where smoking is allowed in designated lounges. For example, at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, smoking is permitted in the enclosed gaming lounges by the B, C, D, and E Gates. At Miami International Airport, smoking is permitted in an open-air atrium attached to a TGI Friday's restaurant. Nashville International Airport also has a smoking lounge near Gate B10.
Indonesia
While Indonesia's Soekarno-Hatta airport has a no-smoking policy, one report states that "the law is not enforced and everybody is smoking".
Turkey
Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport in Turkey allowed smoking in lounges despite national and subnational smoke-free legislation.
France
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world and allows smoking in certain indoor areas.
Japan
Japan Airlines (JAL) introduced a smoking ban on domestic flights in 1988, which was extended to flights of less than two hours in 1990, and to all domestic flights in 1998. However, Japan Tobacco lobbied airlines to reconsider the ban, noting that smoking was banned on all flights of 22 foreign airlines using Japanese airports.
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Airports with smoke-free policies
Smoking is a health hazard and is prohibited on airplanes and in most airports. However, some airports provide designated smoking areas or lounges for travellers who wish to smoke before boarding their flights. These areas are typically located outdoors near ticketing and baggage claim, or inside airport bars and restaurants. While smoking is permitted in these designated areas, it is important to note that even these areas can cause involuntary secondhand smoke exposure to non-smoking travellers and airport employees.
According to a 2017 report by the CDC, among the world's 50 busiest airports, 23 (46%) completely prohibit smoking indoors, while the remaining 27 continue to allow smoking in designated areas. In North America, 14 out of 18 airports had a smoke-free policy, while in Europe and Asia, only 4 out of 9 and 4 out of 22 airports, respectively, had such policies in place. Sydney International Airport in Oceania was the only airport among the 50 busiest to be smoke-free.
Some examples of airports with designated smoking areas include Mumbai International Airport in India, with smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals, and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, which permits smoking in enclosed gaming lounges near the B, C, D, and E Gates. Miami International Airport also has a smoking area in an open-air atrium attached to a TGI Friday's restaurant, and Nashville International Airport has a smoking lounge near Gate B10 that serves wine, beer, liquor, coffee, cigars, and other items.
While the presence of designated smoking areas may be convenient for smokers, it is important to prioritize the health and comfort of all travellers and employees by minimizing secondhand smoke exposure. Airports with smoke-free policies, such as Salt Lake City International Airport and Denver International Airport, which closed its indoor smoking rooms, set a positive example for creating a healthy and safe environment for everyone.
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Airports with designated outdoor smoking areas
While smoking is prohibited in most airports, some airports provide designated outdoor smoking areas or dedicated smoking lounges. These areas are usually located around 20 to 25 feet from the terminal entrances, providing a compromise between preserving a healthy atmosphere for non-smokers and accommodating smokers.
Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas
Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas is one of the few airports in the United States that permits smoking in designated areas. These include the enclosed gaming lounges near the B, C, D, and E Gates, Barney's Lounge at Gate C, and the Budweiser Racing Track Lounge in the Esplanade Pre-Security area. Additionally, there are designated outdoor smoking areas near ticketing and baggage claim.
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport is another major US airport that allows smoking in specific areas. Smoking is permitted in the open-air atrium attached to the TGI Friday's restaurant on Concourse D. This atrium is enclosed by four walls and a roof with a gap at the roofline.
Nashville International Airport
Nashville International Airport is the third major US airport that still permits smoking. It features the Travelers Post Smoke Smoking Lounge near Gate B10, which offers a range of beverages, cigars, and other items.
Mumbai Airport, India
Mumbai Airport in India provides 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 includes smoking areas at Level 4 retail, Gate 28 for international departures, Level 3 retail, and Gates 42 and 47 for domestic departures. There are additional lounges in the arrivals hall on Level 2, near Bag Belts 1, 2, 5, and 12.
Other Airports
While less information is available, it is known that airports in Istanbul, Turkey, Singapore (Changi Airport), and Tunis, Tunisia, have designated smoking areas. Additionally, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) provides smoking areas or lounges after security checkpoints.
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Frequently asked questions
As of 2024, nearly all major airports in the US are completely smoke-free indoors. However, some airports have designated smoking areas or lounges, often located before and after passport control.
Yes, as of 2024, there are a few US airports where smoking is allowed in designated indoor areas. These include Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Miami International Airport, and Nashville International Airport.
Yes, smoking is permitted indoors in some airports outside the US, such as in Germany, India, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Vienna. However, many other airports outside the US, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Bangkok, and major airports in Canada, do not allow smoking indoors.
Airports are becoming smoke-free due to the health hazards associated with secondhand smoke exposure, which can trigger heart attacks, strokes, or asthma attacks in at-risk individuals and increase the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases for airport workers.
Yes, some airports provide outdoor smoking areas near ticketing and baggage claim. Additionally, some airports have gaming lounges located at specific gates where smoking may be permitted. It is best to check with the specific airport for designated smoking areas.
