Smoking Rooms In Airports: A Global Overview

Smoking is a health hazard and has a bad reputation, but there are still many people who want to light up before or after a flight. As of 2024, nearly all U.S. hub airports are 100% smoke-free indoors, but there are still dozens of airports across the globe that provide special lounges, complete with matches and ashtrays, along with designated areas in bars and restaurants.

Smoking is a health hazard, but many airports still have smoking lounges

One airport that maintains a strict no-smoking policy outside of its designated smoking lounges has 14 lounges in Terminal 1 and 19 in Terminal 2. These lounges are fitted with smoke extractors and are located throughout the airport, making them hard to miss. Another airport has 19 lounges in Terminal 1, six in Terminal 2, and two in Aeroplaza. These lounges are completely closed off and can also be found using airport maps.

The Graycliff Cigar Company offers two in-house smoking lounges at an airport. The first is at Concourse B by Gate B-10 and the second is at Concourse C by Gate C-10. These lounges cost only a few dollars to enter and sell handcrafted cigars and tobacco products.

While smoking is a health hazard, the presence of smoking lounges in airports provides a comfortable and designated space for smokers to light up before getting on a plane or transferring to another flight. These lounges are typically well-designed and spacious, accommodating many passengers at once.

Nearly all US hub airports are now 100% smokefree indoors

As of 2024, nearly all US hub airports are 100% smokefree indoors. This includes 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 smokefree outdoors, which helps eliminate the gauntlet of toxic smoke surrounding building entrances and shuttle stops. However, there are still some airports that allow indoor smoking, including McCarran Las Vegas, Memphis, Nashville, Cincinnati-Northern KY, and Biloxi.

Many airports have repurposed former smoking areas into more useful spaces, such as seating areas, retail shops, and charging stations. This is a positive step towards creating a healthier environment for airport workers and travellers, who will now be protected from the health hazards of secondhand smoke.

While some airports have designated smoking lounges, these are becoming less common. These lounges are typically located in the departures terminals throughout the airport and are fitted with smoke extractors. Smoking is usually only permitted in these designated smoking lounges and in some airport restaurants.

Some airports have smoking lounges in both departure and arrival terminals

Another airport with smoking lounges in both departure and arrival terminals is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The airport has several smoking lounges and rooms located before and after passport control. Before passport control, smoking areas are located outside Schiphol Plaza.

Some airports have smoking lounges only in departure terminals. For example, an airport with 19 lounges in Terminal 1, six in Terminal 2, and two in Aeroplaza. The lounges are completely closed off and can be found using airport maps. Another airport has 14 smoking lounges in Terminal 1 and 19 in Terminal 2. The lounges are fitted with smoke extractors and are located throughout the airport and on nearly every floor.

Smoking lounges can be found before and after passport control

Some airports have smoking lounges located throughout the airport in both the departure and arrival terminals. For example, in Terminal 1 of one airport, there is a smoking lounge in the arrival hall next to Belt Five and departures between Gates 26 and 27. In Terminal 2, there are lounges at Level 4 retail, Gate 28 (international departures), Level 3 retail, Gate 42, and Gate 47 (domestic departures).

However, it is important to note that 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. Therefore, it is essential to check the smoking policies of specific airports before assuming that smoking lounges are available.

Some airports have smoking areas in bars and restaurants

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 Washington Dulles. However, some airports outside the U.S. do have designated smoking areas in bars and restaurants. For example, Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, has smoking lounges throughout the airport, in both the departure and arrival terminals. In Mumbai, India, smoking lounges can be found in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, with designated smoking areas in bars and restaurants. Schiphol Airport also has smoking lounges and rooms located before and after passport control, with smoking areas outside Schiphol Plaza.

Some airports provide smoking lounges that are spacious, well-designed, and inviting, offering a comfortable place for passengers to smoke and relax. These lounges are usually fitted with smoke extractors and are located in the departures terminals throughout the airport. They can be easily found using airport maps and are clearly marked. Smoking outside the passenger terminals is generally prohibited and only allowed at designated spots outside the terminals.

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