Inflight smoking

A "No Smoking" sign, as seen on most passenger flights around the world

Inflight smoking is prohibited by almost all airlines; smoking on domestic U.S. airliners, for instance, has been prohibited since April 1998.

That includes the use of Electronic cigarettes. According to FAA regulations, smoking a lighted cigarette or anything that produces smoke or flame is prohibited onboard most commercial aircrafts; however, the FAA has not issued a regulation for or against electronic cigarettes, leaving that decision up to the individual airlines.

Normally, passengers found to be smoking on non-smoking flights will at least face a fine (up to $5000) and at worst be arrested and detained upon landing. Due to stringent security measures, this often causes disruption such as having to land the flight early in order to escort the smoker from the plane.

Such regulations have on occasion met with defiance; in 2010 a Qatari diplomat was arrested upon arrival at Denver International Airport for smoking in the latrine, and for making threats; when confronted by airline staff, he jokingly suggested that he was attempting to set his shoes on fire. Amy Winehouse spent approximately half of her hour-long flight to Dublin smoking in the toilet; despite passenger complaints and an announcement over the public address, no action was taken against her. On February 3, 2013, A family of four were accused of smoking during a Sunwing flight from Halifax to Dominican Republic. They caused the flight to make an emergency landing at Bermuda L.F. Wade International Airport. Two eldest of the family were arrested by Bermuda Police Service and subsequently sentenced to $500 fine or 10 days in prison.

Due to the ubiquitous prohibition of in-flight smoking and the increasingly widespread use of electronic devices, the illuminated no-smoking signs have sometimes been re-purposed to inform passengers to switch devices off for take-off and landing. Where this is the case, the no-smoking sign is permanently printed on the overhead panels.

See also

• Olympic Airways Flight 417
• United Airlines Flight 663
• Smokers Express