Discussion on Smoking on Planes – Is that even possible?

When most of us imagine the Golden Age of Travel, we usually envision passengers in stylist clothes consuming unique meals. What we forget is that air in those plans was quite heavy with smoke. Most of the airlines until 1971 didn’t restrict smoking in the flight deck and cabin.

In the 1970s, nonsmoking sections were made by some US carriers but passengers still could feel nicotine circulating in the air. Due to it, maintenance crews had to clean the valves.

At present, there are strict bans on smoking while traveling in planes. However, smoking still happens on some flights which are outside of the United States. For instance, some travelers report that Air Algerie and Royal Air Maroc still ignore people smoking in the cabin. Sometimes, it is not just the passengers but the crew who smoke.

Generally, the US law allows pilots to smoke in the cockpit under some specific circumstances. However, smoke entering the cabin is not something that passengers want to experience. Moreover, passengers who are traveling in business class don’t really want to experience this smoke.  It has been reported by people that attendants of China Eastern Flight are not responsive to smoking on the plane.

Airline pilots who prefer smoking in the US are quite rare to find these days. With the application of smoke-free law on domestic flights, it didn’t completely prohibit pilots from smoking. Actually, the reasoning was that symptoms of nicotine withdrawal could be a potential hazard for safety. Considering the fact that a cigarette can initiate fire, there are ashtrays in planes.

In addition to it, if the crew catches a person smoking, there can be a penalty of $4,000 in the US. Moreover, police can even arrest that person for making others uncomfortable and putting them in a dangerous situation.