I understand the mandatory non-smoking signs, but the ashtrays? It's still funny to get on an older plane and find ashtrays.

Ahhh..the good old days of smoky hazed flights.

Is smoking banned on International flights now too? I was under the impression that not all airlines ban smoking.

I haven't been on any international flight that allowed smoking...but then again...I haven't flown all over.

My last international flight was in 1991.

This got me thinking so I went on a search for the FAR that states ashtrays are required in an aircraft. I was only able to find this which leads me to believe that since some non US carriers still allow smoking it is required.

Sec. 25.853 - Compartment interiors.

(f) Smoking is not to be allowed in lavatories. If smoking is to be allowed in any other compartment occupied by the crew or passengers, an adequate number of self-contained, removable ashtrays must be provided for all seated occupants.

(g) Regardless of whether smoking is allowed in any other part of the airplane, lavatories must have self-contained, removable ashtrays located conspicuously on or near the entry side of each lavatory door, except that one ashtray may serve more than one lavatory door if the ashtray can be seen readily from the cabin side of each lavatory served.

Wait. What? Are they saying that people from New Zealand are 3 times smaller than everyone else, or that one wing is 3 times larger than the other?

Last time I was able to smoke on a plane was in about 1992.

It was a Tarom* flight, and while officially there was no smoking on board, I asked a stewardess, just in case. She pointed at a door and said that I should go through there to smoke.

I did.

It was the cockpit.

I just walked right onto the flight deck; didn't even wait to be invited. Even more, the crew just motioned me in and one offered me a light.

The world was a seriously different place before 2001.



*The airline of Romania.