Can planes fly in heavy smoke?

Smoke particles can clog air filters, coat engine components, and reduce engine performance, which can lead to engine failure if not addressed promptly. In addition, flying through thick smoke can also affect air quality inside the cabin, posing health risks to passengers and crew.



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While No Smoking signs are certainly there as a constant reminder that smoking is not allowed on board, the signs are also because of convenience and cost. Airlines, like other private businesses, must reinforce federal laws with signage, such as No Smoking signs (via mydoorsign.com).

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Pilots can and sometimes do smoke in the cockpits of business jets. These can be as large as airliners (see BBJ), but usually aren't. Even when a country and/or airline ban smoking in the flight deck, some pilots will ignore the ban and still light up.

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Rules & Regulations
As of 2000, federal law prohibit smoking on all domestic commercial airlines, despite the fact that, by law, commercial airliners must still have an ashtray installed inside of their lavatories.

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You may smoke on a cruise ship, but only in designated smoking areas. On most ships operated by U.S. cruise lines, all indoor public spaces are off-limits with the exceptions being the casino (or part of the casino), a cigar lounge (if the ship has one) and one or two other lounges.

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Broadly and generally, the reasons a pilot may leave the flight deck in flight can be grouped into two categories: first, physiological breaks – restroom, stretch, or required rest on longer routes; and second, operational breaks – handling a passenger, aircraft, or crew issue that requires the pilot to leave the ...

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Whereas internal FAA regulations call for maximum $25,000 fines for smoking on planes and distracting crews, several incidents involving cigarettes in lavatories resulted in fines of $500 or less.

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Subsequently, following concerted lobbying efforts by health advocates, Congress passed legislation banning smoking on US domestic flights of less than two hours, which became effective in 1988. The law was made permanent and extended to flights of less than six hours in 1990.

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A prohibition on torch-style lighters, which have hotter flames, will continue. Lighters have been barred from checked bags for decades because of concerns that the lighters might start fires in cargo holds.

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