Earlier today I wrote about the Air China flight that rapidly descended due to depressurization. Chinese authorities have confirmed pilot vaping is to blame. Is it ever okay for pilots to smoke or vape onboard?
It’s a serious question, because smoking remains prevalent in much of the world. While I would never expect pilots or flight crews from the “west” to smoke onboard a flight, the world is a big place. Smoking is not culturally insensitive in much of the world.
Smoking onboard is also not illegal under U.S. law…for pilots (it just must be done in the flight deck).
After enduring a 13-hour flight on China Eastern in which pilots smoked frequently, I think about this issue often. The flight was truly miserable.
I’ve smelled cigarette smoke on Somon Air, Egypt Air, and Royal Air Maroc as well.
But some make the following argument: better a pilot to be alert than not alert. If smoking helps keep a pilot focused, safety is improved by smoking. Plus, how does it bother passengers if done behind closed doors?
I simply cannot agree.
I’m not an anti-smoking advocate. In fact, I’ve argued that major U.S. airports should be more welcoming to smokers.
> Read More: We Need More Airport Smoking Lounges, Not Fewer
But smoking onboard crosses a line. Even putting the tragic story of Olympic Airlines Flight 417 aside, the walls of the flight deck or crew rest simply do not keep the smoke in. But when the smoke pours right through the walls (and air vents), there is no escape. It becomes an issue not just of comfort, but of health. The issue is just like the former days of smoking and non-smoking sections aboard aircraft. It was a joke: smoke still filled the entire cabin.
Safety First?
And let’s not forget the even more important safety concerns as well. An improperly extinguished cigarette could lead to a cockpit or crew rest fire that could endanger the safety of everyone onboard.
The Air China flight issue was caused by a first officer trying to cover up his vaping. His short-sighted selfishness put the safety of everyone onboard in jeopardy. There the cover-up was more serious than the crime, but the safety lapse was a result of smoking.
CONCLUSION
Although my opinion is fairly firm, I’m open to discussion on this. Can someone make a persuasive argument as to why pilots (or flight attendants in their crew rest area) should be allowed to smoke onboard?
> Read More: Why I Mourn the Loss of Airport Smoking Lounges
top image: Canadian Public Health Association
@ Matthew — Smoking by pilots on-board should be banned world-wide. Period. It is disgusting and poses an unacceptable health risk to everyone on the plane.
If the reason is simply disgusting and health risk, what about alcohol on board? Or you never hear incident caused by drunk passenger?
Personally I’m strongly opposed to it.
That being said at least with smoking there is no safety related reason why it should not be allowed. I’m not aware of any incidents from the past when everyone smoked on the plane that can be tied to it. If that were the case regulators would have banned it some time ago. I know little about vaping so its hard for me to offer an intelligent opinion on that.
From a customer perspective if smoking on the flight deck can be smelled outside it then airlines should prohibit it on that basis. As with the Olympic case there is a public health issue there as well that strongly argues against it. Were it up to me I would prohibit it as an issue of workplace safety (the flight deck is shared space) and customer health given that most aircraft recirculate cabin air to some extent. I do not however, see this as in any way being a safety of flight issue as much as I hate the idea.
A side note re: the cockpit windows. They like doors are plug type and cannot be opened in flight.
Smokers are some of the most inconsiderate people on the planet. I would advocate for punishment that a smoker inhales all the smoke produced and not release any if they have to smoke in confined space.
smoking maybe vaping no and it goes both ways 50 50 lolz
I’m a pilot myself and I used to smoke. And it’s only when I stopped smoking that I realized how much of a selfish habit smoking is.
I today consider addiction to smoking as a sign of weakness and my copilot who is a smoker himself will not make Captain while I’m in charge. It seems that cigarettes impair a person’s judgment. My copilot is willing to pass on his career advancement if that meant he’d have to quit smoking!!!
@Joe.. What a joke of a statement. I hope you don’t drive a motorcycle with loud “pipes”, or have an alcoholic beverage, or use diesel in your car/truck or anything that might make another person “unhealthy” (hope you use sunscreen). You would prevent a co-worker who is fully capable of their job to not advance their career. You are the joke man.
Its evident that even tough you may have quit smoking, your judgement of a co-pilot career simply from smoking or not and your intention to ruin it, you do not have a good mental health or even lack in intellectual capability. Are you really a pilot or just some anti smoker saying something stupid on the internet?
pilots have no final say in career advancement for copilots
I believe unless planes could create (very expensive) air filtration systems that could eliminate any trace of smell/irritation by smokers it should not be allowed! I doubt the airlines want to spend huge dollars only to add more dollars to my ticket?!
When you know better, generally people do better! Our pilot grandfathers fought in World War II didn’t know the dangers! Now we do!
I doubt smoking made a difference in their ability to hit the enemy out of the sky? Did it? Im not a smoker, but come-on?
Everyone has addictions? Some seen, some not! I just don’t believe when your intelligence supposedly advances, you should go backward!
Leave it off the planes, please!
If someone says the pilot, who is also a passenger on the plane and in charge of everyone and their health onboard should be allowed to do something none of the passengers (who are not flying the plane at the same time), it is the stupidest thing I’ve heard. Will never fly any airlines which had an incident of pilot smoking
Who cares. Really as long as the pilot is doing his job…what is the hype about!?
The airplane is polluting tbe earth already. Soon there will be 2nd hand airplane and car air for all to complain about and hype over.
I think that all flights should be smoke-free, including in the Cockpits. It makes the air cleaner as well as those who may be sensitive with their respiratory issues. If the rest of the flight is smoke-free, the flight crew should set and example and not smoke onboard anywhere. Plus there is the possibility of air drifting back into the passenger cabin. Secondhand smoke is a health hazard, fire hazard, and is dangerous. If pilots have an issue with nicotine withdrawl, ask them to wear a nicotine patch, which is much safer than smoke in an aircraft cockpit.
I don’t believe smoking on flights is ok but I do believe that every airport should have a smoking lounge past security. I fly every other month and fly from Las Vegas to Dubai. Only 2 airports that I visit have smoking areas. So I can travel on a 3 hour flight and have a layover in Minneapolis for 2 hours then have to get on 9 hour flight all of which I can’t smoke. Minneapolis is a horrible airport and I did go outside security to smoke once and almost missed my flight with a 2 hour layover. So yeah it’s not always possible to go outside of security. I think people who don’t smoke shouldn’t care what I want to do. It’s none of their business. And if I have to hear “it’s everyone’s air” I will let them know they need to worry about what they do with theirs and not tell me how to use mine.