Roberta Aguirre
Smoking is not permitted in public areas at most airports. However, many airports have designated smoking areas, including indoor smoking lounges and outdoor smoking areas. These lounges are often located in the departures terminals and are fitted with smoke extractors. Some airports also have outdoor smoking areas near ticketing and baggage claim. If you are a smoker, it is essential to plan where you can smoke while travelling, as nearly all U.S. hub airports are now 100% smoke-free indoors, and vaping on a plane is against the rules.
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What You'll Learn
Smoking lounges and designated areas at airports
As of 2024, nearly all hub airports in the US are 100% smoke-free indoors, including Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, Newark, and many more. However, some airports worldwide continue to provide smoking lounges and designated areas for smokers.
For example, Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, has smoking areas in both the departure and arrival terminals. In Terminal 1, the smoking area is located in the arrival hall next to Belt Five, and in departures between Gates 26 and 27. Terminal 2 has smoking areas at Level 4 retail, Gate 28 (international departures), Level 3 retail, Gate 42, and Gate 47 (domestic departures).
Mumbai, India's airport also has smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals. In addition to these, the airport has several smoking lounges and rooms located before and after passport control.
Some airports have a mix of free and paid smoking lounges. For instance, the Graycliff Cigar Company offers two in-house smoking lounges at Concourse B by Gate B-10 and Concourse C by Gate C-10 for a small fee. On the other hand, the airport's transit area in Terminal T1 has a spacious, well-designed, and free smoking lounge.
In addition to indoor smoking lounges, some airports provide outdoor smoking areas near ticketing and baggage claim. For instance, Denver International Airport has designated smoking areas outside the Jeppesen Terminal. These areas are equipped with cigarette disposal receptacles, and passengers should allow extra time to pass through security again after smoking.
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Airports with smoking areas
As of 2024, nearly all U.S. hub airports are 100% smoke-free indoors, including Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, Newark, and many more. The most recent to implement no-smoking policies were Washington Dulles in 2023 and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in 2020. Some airports, like Indianapolis, are also smoke-free outdoors. However, a few U.S. airports still allow indoor smoking, including McCarran Las Vegas, Memphis, Nashville, Cincinnati-Northern KY, and Biloxi.
Internationally, many airports are now 100% smoke-free, including major Asian hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Bangkok. However, there are still airports around the world that provide designated smoking areas for travellers who want to have a cigarette before boarding their flight or during a layover.
For example, Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, has smoking areas throughout the airport, including in bars and restaurants. Mumbai Airport in India also has smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals. These lounges are spacious, well-designed, and fitted with smoke extractors to accommodate smokers comfortably.
Some airports, such as Miami International Airport (MIA), allow 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. Additionally, some airports have partnered with companies like the Graycliff Cigar Company to offer in-house smoking lounges for a small fee. These lounges are typically located before and after passport control and inside airport bars.
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Smokefree airports
Smoking in airports is a significant public health hazard. Secondhand smoke exposure, even at low levels, can trigger heart attacks, strokes, and asthma attacks in at-risk individuals. It is also linked to premature death and diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. As of 2024, nearly all U.S. hub airports are 100% smoke-free indoors, including major hubs like Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, and Newark. Washington Dulles and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport recently implemented no-smoking policies as well. Some airports, like Indianapolis, are even smoke-free outdoors, eliminating secondhand smoke exposure near building entrances and shuttle stops.
Internationally, many airports are also 100% smoke-free, including major Asian hubs like Beijing, Shanghai, and Bangkok. In Europe, smoke-free airports can be found in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Brazil is another example of a country with smoke-free airports in cities like Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo.
Despite these advancements, some U.S. airports still allow indoor smoking, including McCarran Las Vegas, Memphis, Nashville, Cincinnati-Northern KY, and Biloxi. These airports have smoking rooms or designated smoking areas, which fail to prevent secondhand smoke from spreading throughout the building.
To protect public health, broader implementation of smoke-free policies at national, city, or airport authority levels is necessary. Airports can repurpose former smoking areas into seating, retail, or charging stations, benefiting the majority of travellers who are non-smokers.
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Alternatives to smoking at the airport
As of 2024, nearly all US hub airports are 100% smoke-free indoors. However, there are alternatives to smoking at the airport.
Firstly, some airports have smoking lounges, which are usually located in the departures terminals and are fitted with smoke extractors. These can be found in airports around the world, including in the US, the Netherlands, India, and Turkey.
Secondly, if you are looking for alternatives to smoking cigarettes, some airports sell vaping and heated tobacco products. These include vapes, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco devices like IQOS, which heat specially-designed tobacco sticks. However, using these alternatives is treated the same as smoking cigarettes, and you will need to find a dedicated smoking area to use them. Additionally, the rules for heated tobacco and e-cigarette use vary around the world, so it is important to check the laws and regulations of your destination country.
Finally, if you are looking for a smoke-free and tobacco-free alternative, nicotine pouches such as ZYN are available at some airports. These provide nicotine without any smoke, vapour, or tobacco.
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Leaving the airport to smoke
If you are looking to smoke during a layover, it is possible to leave the airport to do so, but there are several factors to consider. Firstly, the length of your layover is crucial. If your layover is short, leaving the airport may not be worth it, as you will need to go through security again before your next flight. It is recommended that you only consider leaving the airport if your layover is longer than 5-6 hours.
Secondly, the regulations of the country where you have your layover will determine if you can leave the airport. For example, some countries may require you to obtain a visa or electronic travel authorization, such as an ESTA for the US or an ETA for Canada or the UK. Other countries may offer visa-on-arrival options, but you should always check the latest entry requirements and apply for any necessary documents well in advance.
Additionally, if your layover is in a country that is neither your origin nor destination, you may face additional border control checks if you leave the international area of the airport. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider the time and regulations before deciding to leave the airport during a layover to smoke.
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Frequently asked questions
As of 2024, nearly all U.S. hub airports are 100% smoke-free indoors. However, some airports outside the U.S. have smoking lounges and designated smoking areas.
As of 2023, Las Vegas Airport was reported to still have smoking rooms. However, it is best to check the airport's website for the most up-to-date information.
Yes, there are several airports outside the U.S. that provide smoking lounges and designated smoking areas. These include Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, and Mumbai Airport in India.
Some alternatives to smoking at the airport include nicotine gum, patches, or vaping. However, it is important to note that vaping on a plane is against the rules and could result in consequences.
Yes, if you have a long layover, you may be able to leave the airport and find a designated smoking area nearby. However, you will need to go through security again, so ensure you have enough time.
