This Is Why Planes Still Have No Smoking Signs

Photo: Katie Dobies (iStock by Getty Images)

The federal government banned smoking on all commercial flights 24 years ago, but airlines are still required to fit “no smoking” signs on their planes. While the outdated regulations still serve some purpose and are a simple reminder, they also create bureaucratic headaches for airlines. The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a decades-old mandate on Friday for a “no smoking” sign-off switch to alleviate some of the regulatory complexities, but the sign itself is going nowhere.

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When smoking was allowed on commercial planes, passengers didn’t have free reign to smoke whenever they wanted. There were still points when it was unsafe to light a cigarette, like when the plane was refueling on the ground. This necessitated a ‘no smoking’ sign. That sign remained perpetually illuminated when inflight smoking was banned on all domestic and international flights in 2000.

However, the sign regulations didn’t change when the ban was implemented. Every plane in service must still carry illuminated ‘no smoking’ signs, with the crew’s ability to turn them off. Modern planes typically don’t have that functionality, so carriers repeatedly petition the FAA for an exemption every time they add a new model to their fleet.

The exemption process works out smoothly under most circumstances, but there can be hiccups. United Airlines had to take its five Airbus A321neo planes out of service earlier this because the crew didn’t couldn’t turn off the “no smoking” and the airline didn’t have an FAA exemption.

To avoid similar issues in the future, the FAA is eliminating the requirement of an off-switch for a “no smoking” sign. While the ban doesn’t apply to privately operated flights, there’s no chance the sign will ever need to be turned off in flight.

The regulator will likely never scrap the sign requirement entirely because it is an ever-present reminder that smoking is banned. It might seem obvious to everyone after 24 years, but over ten percent of Americans have never flown on a plane, according to trade lobby Airlines for America. Any flight could be someone’s first.