Lois Larson
Smoking is a health hazard and has negative impacts on the health of the smoker and those around them. While many airports are trying to become entirely smoke-free, most airports have designated smoking areas in the form of indoor smoking rooms, outdoor terraces, or smoking lounges located close to the terminals. In Europe, popular airports with smoking lounges include CPH, FCO, AMS, CDG, and LHR. Heathrow Airport, for example, has designated smoking areas outside the terminal building and specialized smoking lounges after security. Other European airports like those in the UK, Scotland, and France ban smoking in enclosed public spaces and only allow smoking in designated areas outside the terminal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Smoking in European airports | Only allowed in designated smoking areas |
| Smoking areas | Indoor smoking rooms, outdoor terraces, or smoking lounges located close to the terminals |
| Smoking lounges in Europe | CPH, FCO, AMS, CDG and LHR |
| Smoking areas in the UK | Outside the terminal building, before security |
| E-cigarettes in the UK | Allowed in the same designated smoking areas |
| Smoking in Scotland | Banned by law in enclosed public spaces |
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What You'll Learn
Smoking lounges and rooms
Smoking is banned in all public enclosed spaces in Europe, and this includes airport terminals. However, many European airports have designated smoking areas, smoking rooms, and smoking lounges.
Smoking rooms and lounges are usually located after security, near the gates, and are fitted with smoke extractors. They can be fully enclosed or partially outside. Some airports have multiple smoking lounges in each concourse, while others have only one or two.
For example, Heathrow Airport has smoking areas outside the terminal buildings, and after security, smoking is permitted in specialized smoking lounges. Similarly, Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, and other major UK airports have designated smoking areas before and after security. Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Edinburgh Airport, and Belfast City Airport are smoke-free inside the terminal buildings but have designated smoking areas outside.
Some airports, like McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, allow smoking in designated areas before and after the security checkpoint. Meanwhile, Denver International Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport are entirely smoke-free indoors.
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Designated smoking areas
Smoking is a health hazard and has a significant impact on people's health. Although many of the world's busiest airports are trying to become entirely smoke-free, most of them still have some sort of designated area for smoking. These designated smoking areas are usually located outside the terminal building, either before or after security.
For example, Heathrow Airport, Europe's busiest airport, has several designated smoking areas outside the terminal building. After security, smoking is permitted in specialised smoking lounges. However, at Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 5, smoking is not allowed. At Terminal 4, passengers can find the smoking area by turning left and following the signs.
Similarly, Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, and other major UK airports also have designated smoking areas. For instance, Birmingham Airport has smoking areas outside the front of the terminal, while Cardiff Airport has an outdoor smoking area by Gate 2 in the departure lounge.
Some airports have indoor smoking rooms, while others have outdoor terraces or smoking lounges located close to the terminals. These lounges are usually well-designed and inviting, providing a comfortable place for smokers to relax.
In addition to outdoor smoking areas, some airports also allow smoking in gaming lounges or specific bars and restaurants. For instance, the Budweiser Racing Track Lounge at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas allows smoking before security. Meanwhile, Salt Lake City International Airport only permits smoking outdoors, at least 25 feet away from the entrance doors.
It is important to note that the availability and location of designated smoking areas can vary depending on the airport. Some larger airports may have multiple smoking areas per terminal, while others may have only one or a few. Additionally, the state and appearance of these areas can differ, ranging from fancy lounges to basic plastic boxes.
When travelling through European airports, it is advisable to keep an eye out for signs indicating the designated smoking areas to ensure compliance with airport regulations.
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Smoking bans and fines
Smoking is banned in all public enclosed spaces in the UK, including airport terminal buildings. This ban includes electronic cigarettes. However, most airports provide designated smoking areas outside the terminal building, either before or after security. For example, Heathrow Airport has designated smoking areas outside the terminal buildings, and after security, smoking is permitted in specialised smoking lounges.
In Scotland, the law also bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, and individuals who smoke anywhere other than in designated areas are liable to a fixed penalty fine of £50. Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Edinburgh Airport, and Belfast City Airport are all smoke-free, with designated smoking areas outside the terminal buildings.
Outside of the UK, many European airports have smoking areas, including CDG airport in France, which has smoking areas in terminals 2E and 2G, and an outdoor smoking area. Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, also has a smoking area, and Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, has smoking lounges.
Some airports, such as Beijing Capital International Airport, only allow smoking outside the airport terminals. Other airports, such as Denver International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, and LAX, are entirely smoke-free indoors, with designated smoking areas located outside the terminals.
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Vaping and e-cigarettes
Vaping and the use of e-cigarettes are prohibited on flights and in airports in some countries. For example, vaping is not permitted on flights by any airline, and in Germany, you are not allowed to vape either on airplanes or at airports. In the UK, vaping is prohibited on flights and in most airports, including Heathrow, London City Airport, Southampton Airport, Stansted Airport, Exeter Airport, Birmingham Airport, East Midlands Airport, Humberside Airport, Manchester Airport, and London Gatwick Airport. However, some UK airports, such as Bristol Airport, Newcastle Airport, and Liverpool John Lennon Airport, have designated smoking areas where vaping is allowed.
When flying within Europe, there are regulations around travelling with your vape that you should be aware of. While vaping is permitted in many European countries, airports and airlines have specific rules for carrying e-cigarettes and e-liquid in your carry-on or checked baggage. As of 2023, most major European airlines and airports allow vapes and e-liquid in carry-on baggage, as long as they adhere to the general liquid restrictions. This means that e-liquid bottles cannot exceed 100ml (3.4oz) and must be in a resealable plastic bag. All bottles must be clearly labelled, and spare batteries should be in proper battery cases. Tanks should be empty and sealed in plastic bags. Do not pack e-cig batteries in checked baggage, as they are a fire risk and can only be carried onto the plane with you.
Each country in Europe has its own set of rules and regulations around e-cigarettes that you should familiarize yourself with before crossing any borders. For example, in Russia, you are not allowed to carry a vape and can be fined if found trying to get one through security. In France, you can take e-liquid or vape kits with you, but only in your carry-on baggage. In Singapore, personal vaporizers, e-cigarettes, and nicotine delivery systems are only permitted in carry-on baggage, and their use is prohibited in the cabin. In Japan, passengers are permitted to bring their vaping devices on board, but these devices need to be packed properly, and the spare lithium batteries should be stored in carry-on luggage.
When going through airport security, you may be asked to power on your vape to prove it's an e-cigarette and not another device. Some security staff may not be familiar with vapes, so be prepared to explain what it is. While vaping may be allowed in certain designated smoking areas in some airports, it is best to check with your specific airline and airport for their policies before flying.
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Pre- and post-security smoking
Smoking is a health hazard and has negative effects on the health of the smoker and those around them. While many airports are trying to become entirely smoke-free, most airports still have designated smoking areas. These are usually located outside the terminal building, before check-in and after arrivals.
In the UK, for example, smoking is banned inside terminal buildings by law, but airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, and Bournemouth provide designated smoking areas that can be used before or after security. At Heathrow, Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 5 do not have smoking areas, but Terminal 4 does. At Gatwick, the designated sheltered smoking zone can be found outside Departures, in front of the terminal building. Birmingham Airport only has smoking areas outside the front of the terminal, and smoking is prohibited once you enter the terminal and pass security. Cardiff Airport has an outdoor smoking area by Gate 2 in the departure lounge, and Doncaster Sheffield (Robin Hood Airport) has a post-security smoking area on the first floor of the departures lounge.
Some airports have indoor smoking rooms, while others have outdoor terraces or smoking lounges located close to the terminals. These lounges are often located after security, usually near the gates. Some airports have multiple smoking lounges in each concourse, and they are usually clearly marked and can be easily found using airport maps. For example, Miami International Airport (MIA) allows smoking outside the terminals on the Arrivals and Departures levels, and in an open-air atrium attached to the airport's TGI Fridays restaurant near Gate D-36. At Salt Lake City International Airport, smoking is only allowed outside the terminal, at least 25 feet away from the entrance doors.
Some airports, such as Stansted Airport in the UK, Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland, and Beijing Capital International Airport in China, are entirely smoke-free indoors, with no smoking allowed after passing through security. However, Stansted and Glasgow Prestwick Airports offer designated smoking areas outside the terminal building. Beijing Capital International Airport only allows smoking outside the airport terminals. Denver International Airport and LAX are also entirely smoke-free indoors, but LAX has three designated smoking areas outside the terminals.
It is important to note that the availability of smoking areas and the specific rules and locations may vary depending on the airport. It is always recommended to follow airport signs to locate smoking zones and comply with the regulations.
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Frequently asked questions
No, smoking is not permitted inside European airport terminals. However, designated smoking areas are available outside the terminals.
Smoking areas are located outside the terminal buildings and are clearly marked. They are usually located after security, near the gates.
Some European airports have indoor smoking rooms, outdoor terraces, or smoking lounges located close to the terminals. However, many airports are moving towards becoming entirely smoke-free.
No, some airports like Stansted, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Prestwick Airport are entirely smoke-free.
