Cardiff Airport (CWL)

Cardiff Airport (CWL) has a no smoking policy inside any terminal building, but it is one of the minority of UK airports that still offers a designated smoking area airside, after security. Smokers have two options: outside the terminal before you go through, and an outdoor area in the departure lounge past security. That makes CWL genuinely more convenient for smokers than most UK airports.

Before Security

• There is a designated outdoor smoking area outside the front of the terminal building, accessible before you check in or clear security. This is the standard landside option and is open to anyone.

• No fee is charged to use this area.

• Allow yourself enough time to get back inside, through security, and to your gate, especially during busy periods when security queues can be unpredictable.

After Security

• Cardiff has an outdoor smoking area airside, located next to Gate 2 in the departure lounge. This is confirmed by multiple sources and is accessible to all departing passengers who have cleared security.

• Vaping is permitted in this same outdoor zone by Gate 2, and nowhere else inside the terminal.

• No entry fee is charged for this airside area, unlike some other UK airports (Aberdeen and Leeds Bradford both charge £1).

• A 2016 traveller report on AirportSmokers confirmed the airside area was accessible from the departure lounge, and the APH 2026 guide lists it as still operational.

Vaping Rules

• Vaping is treated identically to smoking at Cardiff Airport: only permitted in the designated outdoor zones (before security outside the terminal, or airside by Gate 2).

• Single-use disposable vapes have been illegal to sell in the UK since 1 June 2025. Travel with a rechargeable, refillable device.

• No vaping is allowed anywhere inside the terminal building.

Transit and Layovers

• If you are connecting through Cardiff and need a smoke airside, the Gate 2 outdoor area is your option without needing to exit the secure zone.

• There is no information available on whether you can exit and re-enter the secure area, so if you are already airside, use the Gate 2 area rather than risking losing your secure status.

Bottom Line

Cardiff is one of the more smoker-friendly UK airports: you can smoke both before and after security, the airside spot by Gate 2 is free to use, and vaping is allowed in the same areas. Just stay well clear of the terminal building itself.