Detroit Metro Airport's plan for cigar lounge faces criticism

Dedicated cigar bars within U.S. airports are rare, especially post-pandemic. Previous facilities at Nashville and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airports have been closed. While some major U.S. airports like Las Vegas and Miami permit smoking, most remain entirely smoke-free.

Internationally, airport smoking areas are more common, with Tokyo Narita offering numerous indoor lounges. Despite this trend, research indicates that even outdoor smoking areas can increase PM2.5 levels near terminal entrances.

Brian King from the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health stated in 2012 that "separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air and ventilating buildings cannot fully eliminate secondhand smoke exposure."

The aviation industry has seen a gradual reduction in smoking areas over time. United Airways was among the first to introduce non-smoking sections on flights before a complete ban was enforced by U.S. authorities in 2000 and earlier by the EU in 1997.