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Ashtrays on Planes: A Hidden Safety Requirement
20 Jun
Summary
- Aircraft ashtrays are an FAA requirement for safe cigarette disposal.
- Planes can be grounded if lavatory ashtrays are missing or broken.
- Smoking was banned on UK flights by 1998 and globally phased out earlier.
Even though smoking has been prohibited on flights for more than three decades, airplane lavatories are still outfitted with ashtrays. This practice stems from a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirement mandating a safe place for cigarette disposal, anticipating that some passengers may still attempt to smoke.
Aerospace engineers confirm that these ashtrays are a crucial safety feature. The bins themselves are fireproof, reflecting a lack of trust in passengers to refrain from smoking. Furthermore, the presence of a functioning ashtray is a strict airworthiness directive; planes have reportedly been grounded and flights cancelled if an ashtray was found to be missing or broken.
Historically, smoking was a common feature of air travel. However, as health concerns grew, airlines began phasing out the practice. In the UK, British Airways banned smoking on domestic routes in 1988, and by 1998, major airlines had eliminated smoking across their global networks.
