Taildragger67

Air Canada DC-9 at CVG. Shorted flush motor.

http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/brief.asp?e...14X43285&key=1

Smoking in your seat isn't illegal in the UK AFAIK - just in the loos for the previously mentioned reasons.

Additionally, as far as I know the airlines stopped smoking areas supposedly due to passenger demand, but the more cynical smokers of us actually believed this was due to costs of aircon filter replacement and the marketing excuse was a cover for this.


Wasn' t there an Aeroflot case over this regarding the sovereignty of the aircraft and the right of passengers to smoke ? (FAA ?)

smoking and drinking
 

i think the rafs rule is the best. no smoking or drinking on board passenger aircraft.

DistantRumble

You are correct that the Air Navigation Order does not specifical ban smoking. However, under the Order it is an offence to fail to obey the lawful commands of the aircraft commander. Most (if not all) UK airlines have a no smoking policy which is enforced by the aircraft commander. Anyone smoking on a UK airline is therefore likely to be committing an offence which is (if I recall correctly) punishable by a fine of up to £5,000 on summary conviction or by up to 2 years imprisonment on conviction on indictment. Smoking in the toilet is can also be caught under the offence of endangering the safety of an aircraft.

Thanks Cathar ...

I was pretty much aware of this - and that the captain IS the captain and what he/she says goes.

my point is that sitting in your seat it's not illegal - just not airline policy to allow smoking on board.

Unfortunately PAXBoy you can't have everything. For most of us travelling by air generally means public transport which unfortunately means travelling amongst the 'great unwashed'. And like it or not you have to put up with them, whether they reek of smoke, have really bad body odour or snore in your ear hole when they sleep. (I speak from experience)
There is no excuse for sneaking a quick drag in the toilets and those of us with half a brain will not do so no matter how desperate we may feel. There will always be one or two die hards though who feel it necessary to break the rules to get their fix. It's the world we live in.
If there are resources available to allow smokers to have a fix then I suggest you should feel safe in the knowledge that they can smoke in a controlled environment and are not driven to the toilets, which are, as we know filled with flammable material and a potentially lethal fire hazard.
If you really do feel that you need to travel in a completely sanitised environment, may I suggest a private charter!.

Tinker

Totally agree, should we ban eating foods containing garlic and make everyone shower before boarding? I am a reformed smoker and as such I should be amongst the worst for complaining about it, but I respect the rights of others.

Where there is a valid safety concern enforce it to the full extent of the law. But where there isn't then allow as much freedom of choice as possible.

The only sticking point would be any requirement for crew to enter any smoking area as if any future illness could be attributed to secondary smoking it would really hit the fan. In West Oz there is a move to ban smoking in bars for that very reason.

:( :(

If you cant go withuot a ciggie for a flight, even the longest ones, then you have a serious problem. Alcohol, when used socially and kept to a sensible level, affects only the person taking it. Smoke affects everyone. http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/smokin.gif http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/nono.gif

Pecman,

As a non-smoker the Air France thing was awful. I had the misfortune to be in the row adjacent to the "smokers' galley" on one flight from SIN to CDG and it was the most unpleasant flight of my life. Curtains do nothing toi stop the smoke from about 10 addicts who spent basically the whole flight puffing away in there.

As a result I have not flown Air France since, although I believe their flights really are non-smoking now.