Last Updated: July 29, 2023
Can You Smoke in Airports? Here’s The Answer
Wondering if you’re allowed to smoke at airports? Most still have some sort of smoking area where smokers can consume cigarettes, and we’ll tell you all about them in this guide!
Although many of the world’s busiest airports are trying to become entirely smoke-free airports, most of them still have some sort of designated area for smoking. Airports can have these in form of indoor smoking rooms, outdoor terraces, or even smoking lounges located close to the terminals. Read on to learn more about smoking at the airports, and find out what the rules are.
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Can you smoke after airport security?
You can usually smoke after you pass through airport security. Most airports have some sort of designated smoking areas or smoking rooms after the security checkpoint, where passengers are allowed to smoke. The airport smoking rooms can be fully enclosed spaces or even spaces that are partially outside.
The latter is a much better option if you have to smoke at the airport because the ventilation is so much better. Although the airport-enclosed smoking rooms are ventilated, the stench of cigarette smoke is quite strong and you will come out of the smoking room smelling like an ashtray.
Airport Smoking Areas
More than half the airports around the world have designed smoking areas, especially the airports in Europe. These areas are located after security, and they’re usually near the gates. Larger airports will often have at least one smoking area per terminal, to accommodate their nicotine-addicted passengers.
The state and appearance of the smoking areas vary, depending on the airport. At some airports it’s almost like a fancy lounge, so you can feel almost privileged to be able to access it. But at other airports, it’s just a plastic box in the middle of the terminal, and you’ll feel like an animal in a (very stinky) cage.
What Airports Have Smoking Lounges?
United States
Washington Dulles International Airport
Smoking is no longer allowed inside Washington Dulles International Airport. The airport has four smoking rooms accessible after you’ve passed security, and they’re located close to gates B38, B75, C4, and D30.
Update: According to one of our lovely readers: Smoking lounges will be closed in Dulles as of June 2023
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport is entirely smoke-free indoors. The use of vapes and e-cigarettes is not allowed at the airport. There are designated areas for smokers located pre-security, outside the Jeppesen Terminal. It is not possible to smoke once you’ve passed security.
Los Angeles International Airport
LAX is completely smoke-free indoors, but there are three designated areas for smokers located outside the terminals. You will have access to these areas once you pass through security, and they’re situated at the Tom Bradley International Terminal, Terminal 2, and Terminal 7.
Beijing Capital International Airport
Beijing Capital International Airport allows smoking only outside the airport terminals. The airport has closed all of its smoking lounges and rooms, so it is no longer possible to smoke after you’ve passed through security.
It’s worth noting that they don’t seem to care about vaping – people have reported seeing others vape at the terminals, and the staff didn’t seem to care. But I wouldn’t recommend doing this before asking for permission or seeing someone else do it first.
Salt Lake City International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport is smoke-free indoors and you can’t smoke after you’ve passed through security. Smoking is allowed only outside the terminal, at least 25 feet away from the entrance doors.
McCarran International Airport
The McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas has quite a few places where you can smoke, before and after the security checkpoint. The Budweiser Racing Track Lounge (before security) is a bar that allows smoking both regular and e-cigarettes.
Smoking is also permitted at the enclosed gaming lounges that are located near the gates. There are four of these lounges in total, making the McCarran International Airport one of the best for smokers.
Narita Airport
The Narita Airport in Japan prohibits smoking inside and outside the airport terminals. Smoking outside the terminals isn’t allowed in an effort to minimize the effects secondhand smoke can have on non-smokers.
That being said, smoking is allowed inside the designated smoking areas at this airport. Terminal 1 has 14 smoking rooms and Terminal 2 has 19 rooms, so there are plenty of places where you can smoke at Narita Airport.
Nashville International Airport
Smoking is permitted at Nashville International Airport in one of the two Graycliff Boutiques & Lounges. They’re near gates B10 and C10, and passengers must pay an entrance fee of $5 to be able to enter this lounge. If a passenger has completed a purchase of $10 or more, they can use the lounge without paying the entrance fee.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has smoking lounges at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. There are only two smoking areas at Terminal 1, but around 7 smoking areas at Terminal 2. It’s worth noting that Terminal 2 smoking rooms are available for international departures, domestic departures, and even arrivals.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a completely smoke-free airport without any designated smoking rooms. Passengers who inquire where they can smoke will often be given Nicotine Lozenges free of charge.
Smoking is only allowed outside the terminals, and you must be 25 feet away from any entrance doors. The use of e-cigarettes and vapes is not permitted inside the airport.
Kansai Airport
Kansai Airport has smoking rooms that passengers can use free of charge. These rooms are located at Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and in the Aeroplaza. It’s worth noting that there are multiple smoking areas per terminal, so you will have plenty of options.
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
The Cincinnati International Airport allows smoking outside the airport terminals, pre-security. There used to be a smoking lounge at this airport, but apparently, it’s been removed and turned into a liquor store. As of February 2023, there are no designated smoking areas post security at the Cincinnati International Airport.
Tampa International Airport
Tampa International Airport is completely smoke-free indoors. That being said, smoking is allowed outside pre and post-security. You can smoke outside the terminals before you go through security, and after the TSA checkpoints, you will have access to a smoking patio located outside each of the terminals.
Europe
Geneva Airport
Geneva Airport has a designated smoking lounge that you can access after you’ve passed through security. The lounge has its own ventilation system and it is under negative pressure, which ensures that secondhand smoke can’t escape the room even after the doors have opened. It’s unclear where you must pay a fee to access this lounge.
In addition to this – quite fancy – lounge, there’s also an outdoor terrace near the food courts where you’re allowed to smoke.
Zurich Airport
Zurich has lots of smoking lounges in both the boarding areas, the shopping after security and also in the baggage claim area. I pass by them all quite regularly and they are happily sponsored by many a cigarette company :>
London Heathrow
The majority of London Heathrow is smoke-free but there does appear to be a smoking area in T2 by A1 gate.
Paris Charles de Gualle
Although Charles de Gualle is generally smoke-free there are smoking areas in each terminal of the airport. You can find more information in the smoking section of this services page.
Can you smoke in an airport toilet?
You’re not allowed to smoke in an airport toilet and you shouldn’t do it. For one, most airports have designated areas for smokers, where you can smoke as much as you want without any consequences.
Two, smoking in airport toilets is illegal, and if you were to get caught, you would probably need to pay a hefty fine. Depending on the airport, you could be thrown out and entirely miss your flight, and it’s just not worth it.
Even if you’re thinking you can get away with it, cigarette smoke is not at all easy to mask and it lingers in the air. It’s enough for one person to notice you and report you and you’ll be in trouble. And they will report you if they see smoke because many people are so averse to cigarettes that they actually enjoy snitching on smokers smoking in places where they shouldn’t.
About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
