Airports With Indoor Smoking Areas: A Traveler's Guide

While smoking is a health hazard, many airports around the world still provide designated smoking areas for travellers who want to light up before boarding their flight or during a layover. These areas can be found both before and after passport control, and are often located in airport bars and restaurants, or in outdoor spaces near ticketing and baggage claim. Some airports even have smoking lounges with matches and ashtrays. As of 2017, however, 23 of the world's 50 busiest airports had smoke-free indoor policies.

US airports that allow indoor smoking

As of 2024, almost all US hub airports have 100% smoke-free indoor spaces. Some of these airports include Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, and Newark. However, there are still a few US airports that allow indoor smoking, albeit in designated smoking areas or lounges. These airports include:

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

The world's busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, used to accommodate travelers with smoking lounges in each of its concourses. However, the airport implemented a no-smoking policy in 2020.

McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas)

Given its location, it is not surprising that McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas has abundant smoking and slot machine areas.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

A third Graycliff Lounge opened in the summer near Gate B11, selling cigarettes, cigars, chocolate, and coffee. A $6 fee includes a beverage.

Tampa International Airport

Tampa International Airport is one of the few airports in the US that allows smoking in outdoor areas without requiring passengers to go through security again. There are several smoking patios at Airside A, C, E, and F. Regular lighters and matches are also permitted through security.

Washington Dulles International Airport

Washington Dulles International Airport implemented a no-smoking policy in 2023. However, as of 2013, it boasted lounges across from Gates B37, C2, and D30.

Denver International Airport

Despite most restaurants and lounges at Denver International Airport being smoke-free, the Smokin' Bear Smoking Lounge can be found on the C Gates. There is a $5 drink minimum to enter.

While these airports provide designated smoking areas, it is important to note that smoking in airports is a significant public health hazard. Secondhand smoke can trigger heart attacks, strokes, or asthma attacks in at-risk travelers, and long-term exposure increases the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases for airport workers.

Airports with smoking lounges

While smoking is banned in most enclosed public spaces, some airports provide designated smoking areas for travellers who wish to smoke before boarding their flights or during transit. These areas are usually fitted with smoke extractors and are located in the departures terminals, although some are found in arrivals terminals as well.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands

The airport has several smoking lounges and rooms located before and after passport control. Before passport control, smoking areas are located outside Schiphol Plaza. After passport control, most smoking lounges are located inside airport bars. The airport has at least one, sometimes two, smoking lounges in each of its Concourses except Concourse D.

Ataturk Airport, Istanbul, Turkey

Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, has smoking lounges located throughout the airport in both the departure and arrival terminals.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, India

This airport has smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals. In Terminal 1, the arrival hall next to Belt Five and departures between Gates 26 and 27 have smoking lounges. 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, between Bag Belts 1 and 2, near Belt 5, and close to Belt 12.

US Airports

Several airports in the US still allow indoor smoking, including McCarran Las Vegas, Memphis, Nashville, Cincinnati-Northern KY, and Biloxi. Tampa International Airport also has an outdoor smoking area by the C-gates.

Airports with outdoor smoking areas

Many airports have banned smoking indoors, but some airports have designated outdoor smoking areas. For example, Tampa International Airport has an outdoor smoking area by the C-gates. Similarly, Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport has several smoking lounges and rooms located before and after passport control. Before passport control, smoking areas are located outside Schiphol Plaza, and after passport control, most smoking lounges are located inside airport bars.

Some airports in the US, such as McCarran Las Vegas, Memphis, Nashville, Cincinnati-Northern KY, and Biloxi, still allow indoor smoking. However, many airports have started repurposing their indoor smoking areas into seating areas, retail shops, and charging stations.

For those looking to smoke before boarding or during a layover, some airports provide special lounges, complete with matches and ashtrays, along with designated areas in bars and restaurants. For instance, Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, and the airport in Mumbai, India, have smoking lounges in both the departure and arrival terminals.

Smoking outside passenger terminals is prohibited at many airports, and smoking is only permitted in designated smoking areas outside the terminals. These designated spots are usually located in front of the terminals, 25 feet from entrances.

Airports with smoking areas in restaurants and bars

While smoking is prohibited in most airports around the world, there are still some airports that provide designated smoking areas inside their premises. These designated smoking areas include smoking rooms, smoking sections in restaurants and bars, and rooms or areas in airline clubs.

For example, in the Netherlands, smoking is banned in enclosed public spaces. However, Schiphol Plaza has several smoking lounges and rooms located before and after passport control. After passport control, most smoking lounges are located inside airport bars. Similarly, Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, has smoking lounges located throughout the airport in both the departure and arrival terminals.

In the United States, while an overwhelming majority of large-hub airports prohibit smoking indoors, as of 2017, some airports, including McCarran Las Vegas, Memphis, Nashville, Cincinnati-Northern KY, and Biloxi, still allowed indoor smoking. However, it is worth noting that the number of smoke-free airports in the United States has been increasing, with Indianapolis being one example of an airport that is now smoke-free both indoors and outdoors.

As of 2017, among the 50 busiest airports worldwide, 23 (46%) had a smoke-free policy, including five of the top 10 busiest airports: Beijing Capital, Chicago O'Hare International, London Heathrow, Los Angeles International, and Shanghai Pudong International. However, it is important to recognize that airport policies may change over time, and it is always a good idea to check the official websites or contact the airports directly for the most up-to-date information regarding their smoking policies and designated smoking areas.

Smokefree indoor policies at airports

As of 2024, nearly all U.S. hub airports are 100% smoke-free indoors, including Chicago O'Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, and Newark, among others. In 2023, Washington Dulles joined the list, and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport implemented a no-smoking policy in 2020. Some airports, like Indianapolis, are also smoke-free outdoors. Many airports have repurposed former smoking areas into seating areas, retail shops, and charging stations.

Progress has been made globally to protect non-smoking passengers and employees from secondhand smoke. A majority of airports are smoke-free in many countries worldwide, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Among the 50 busiest airports worldwide, 23 (46%) had a smoke-free policy as of August 2017. Five of the busiest airports—Beijing Capital, Chicago's O'Hare International, London's Heathrow, Los Angeles International, and Shanghai Pudong International—had implemented smoke-free policies.

However, there are still airports that provide designated smoking areas, often in the form of lounges with smoke extractors, located in the departures and arrivals terminals. These can be found in Mumbai, India, and Schiphol Plaza in the Netherlands, among other airports. Outside of the U.S., some of the busiest airports that allowed smoking in certain indoor areas as of August 2017 include Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International, Dubai International, Hong Kong International, Paris's Charles de Gaulle, and Tokyo International.

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