Airport smoking rooms were often a fact of life at international airports‚ located next to the duty free store‚ behind the cafe or restaurant‚ or in a distant location‚ often poorly ventilated and fitted with yellowish glass․
That is changing․
Some countries have done away with designated smoking rooms in airports‚ while in others there is no smoking room once arriving at the airport terminal or clearing security․ If one chooses to smoke at an airport where this is the case‚ one must do so before entering the airport terminal or clearing security‚ and endure a smoke-free airport experience․
This is not always possible for passengers that have a long layover at an airport‚ and can be confusing for airport users‚ as many blogs‚ airport maps and traveler reviews still list smoking rooms that have since been removed․ Below are five countries where most major airports are smoke-free and how they got there․
1․ Netherlands: Schiphol removed all indoor smoking areas in 2020․
Amsterdam Schiphol offers one of the clearest examples in Europe․
Schiphol had previously maintained smoking lounges‚ including post-security‚ but closed its remaining post-security lounges on 1 April 2020‚ and introduced a non-smoking policy for the terminal as a whole․ According to Schiphol‚ this was following a Dutch Supreme Court ruling that smoking areas in the hospitality industry must close‚ and after the smoking facilities outside security at the airport were closed‚ only the facilities behind security were left open․
https://news.schiphol.com/schiphol-terminal-to-become-entirely-smoke-free-from-april/
Smoking inside the terminal buildings before and after security checks and in the parking garages is prohibited at Schiphol․ Only a few limited smoking areas are open outside‚ including on the Jan Dellaertplein․ However‚ smoking breaks are very impractical for passengers on airside‚ as they need to leave the secure area and go through security checks again to return․
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport smoking guide․
2․ Thailand‚ AOT closed smoking rooms in six major airports in 2019․
Thailand is particularly important as many travelers still recall the smoking rooms in Bangkok's airports․
That changed on 3 February 2019‚ as Airports of Thailand closed smoking rooms in Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang international airports and in the airports of Phuket‚ Chiang Mai‚ Hat Yai and Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai‚ citing the 2017 Tobacco Control Act‚ and the Ministry of Public Health including public airport areas as one of the Public Places where smoking is banned․
The Bangkok Post reported that AoT banned smoking rooms in passenger terminals and offices at the six airports and fines of up to 5000 baht were introduced․
For visitors: be aware that former airport smoking rooms are no longer in service․ If you must smoke at Thai airports‚ the safest practice is to smoke before entering the terminal or ask airport personnel where the legal outdoor smoking area is․ Bangkok Suvarnabhumi can still be confusing as some traveler-reported lounge terraces or SAT-1 reports appear from time to time‚ but since 2019‚ Bangkok Suvarnabhumi has been quite strongly anti-smoking within passenger buildings․
Check our guide for Thai airports:
3․ China - China removes indoor airport smoking rooms in Beijing‚ Shanghai
Though airport regulations can vary from one city or terminal to another in China‚ Beijing and Shanghai offer clear indicators of where this country intends to go․
In Beijing‚ citywide smoke-free legislation entered into effect on 1 June 2015․ It was the strictest tobacco control law in China according to the WHO at the time‚ and banned smoking in all indoor public places and workplaces․ After the law was passed‚ People's Daily reported that Beijing Capital International Airport had closed smoking rooms inside its three terminals and moved smoking to the outdoors․
Shanghai has also targeted its airports for smoke control․ According to a 2025 report on smoke free airports‚ the last remaining indoor smoking rooms at Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) were closed permanently as of 31 October 2016․
This means that China can be risky for smokers en transit; e․g․ at Beijing Capital International Airport‚ the smoking area is usually outside the airport terminal and before security․ If you are airside‚ particularly on an international connection‚ you may have to go through immigration‚ which may involve a wait and visa issues․
For more detail on where to smoke at Chinese airports check out airport guides:
4․ Colombia ‚ El Dorado has a strict smoke-free terminal policy
Colombia was the first country in Latin America to adopt a nationwide smokefree law․ Law 1335 of 2009 was adopted to protect children and non-smokers from exposure to secondhand smoke in many public and work places․ Tobacco control summaries indicate that smoking is banned on public transport‚ enclosed public places and enclosed workplaces‚ without exception‚ in Colombia․
El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá is the most accurate example for airport visitors․ No designated smoking areas exist inside the airport according to smoke-free airport guidelines․ This is in reference to Article 19 of Law 1335 and the ban on smoking in closed‚ semi-closed or open-air areas of a venue․
In practice‚ Bogota is not the sort of airport you should rely on having a secret smoking room in the terminal once you have gone through security‚ and assume that if you are connecting to an international flight that such a room does not exist․
For more information check: El Dorado International Airport smoking guide
5․ Mauritius - the terminal area is completely non-smoking
For example‚ although Mauritius is a very small country‚ its main international airport has a very clear passenger rule․
According to the airport's official website‚ the passenger terminal at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport is a non-smoking terminal․ Smoking in the terminal is prohibited and smoking facilities are located prior to entering the check-in halls․ More plainly‚ the airport FAQ says that although there is no smoking lounge in the passenger terminal‚ the terminal is simply non-smoking (i․e․‚ it is smoke-free)․
This is important for departing passengers: once you have checked in and gone through security checks at Mauritius Airport‚ you can expect no further opportunities to smoke․
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport‚ smoking is prohibited in all areas
The meaning of "smoke-free airport"․
Here is where many tourists get confused․
A smoke-free airport does not mean that there is no smoking at the airport‚ but rather that:
No smoking within the terminal․
No smoking room after security․
No smoking in lounges‚ restaurants‚ or gate areas․
smoking only in designated outdoor areas outside the terminal prior to security‚ if permitted․
A short domestic flight that's delayed is not the same as a six-hour international connection where a delay completely changes how you plan your layover in a different city․
The safest rule remains: if you know the airport has gone smoke-free‚ smoke before the security checkpoint and do not assume you will find a smoking room․ Airport smoking rooms disappear quietly‚ and old online reports remain indexed long after the rules have changed․
Advice for travelers visiting smoke-free countries
If you smoke‚ the biggest rookie mistake to avoid is the mistaken belief that every big international airport has a smoking lounge somewhere after security․ The number of non-smoking airports is increasing every year․
Always check for airport policy․ If you need to clear immigration for your onward departure‚ be sure to allow sufficient time as‚ at many airports‚ the only airside smoking area is outside․ At airports like Schiphol‚ Bangkok‚ Beijing‚ Bogota and Mauritius‚ and no doubt many others‚ you may not have a choice․
Airport policy can change‚ though‚ so if you are visiting an airport where you want to know about the smoking policy‚ check the SmokingAirports page for that airport before you leave! The difference between "there is a smoking terrace" and "there used to be a smoking terrace" can be the difference between a pleasant layover and a very long wait at the gate․
