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Title 49 — TransportationRelease 119-73

§41706 Prohibitions against smoking on passenger flights

Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VII— - AVIATION PROGRAMS › Part PART A— - AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY › Subpart subpart ii— - economic regulation › Chapter CHAPTER 417— - OPERATIONS OF CARRIERS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - REQUIREMENTS › § 41706

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Smoking is not allowed on passenger airplanes. The ban applies to scheduled U.S. flights (both interstate and intrastate) and to unscheduled passenger flights when a flight attendant must be on board, as decided by the FAA Administrator. The Secretary of Transportation must also require all U.S. and foreign airlines to ban smoking on scheduled foreign passenger flights and on unscheduled foreign passenger flights if a flight attendant is required (as decided by the FAA Administrator or the foreign government). If a foreign government objects that the U.S. law shouldn't apply to its carriers, the Secretary must waive the rule for that carrier once the U.S. and that government agree on and put into effect an alternative ban that the Secretary enforces. Using an electronic cigarette counts as smoking. An electronic cigarette is a device that delivers nicotine as a vapor to be inhaled to copy the feel of smoking. The Secretary of Transportation must write any rules needed to make these bans work.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §41706

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)An individual may not smoke—
(1)in an aircraft in scheduled passenger interstate or intrastate air transportation; or
(2)in an aircraft in nonscheduled passenger interstate or intrastate air transportation, if a flight attendant is a required crewmember on the aircraft (as determined by the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration).
(b)The Secretary of Transportation shall require all air carriers and foreign air carriers to prohibit smoking—
(1)in an aircraft in scheduled passenger foreign air transportation; and
(2)in an aircraft in nonscheduled passenger foreign air transportation, if a flight attendant is a required crewmember on the aircraft (as determined by the Administrator or a foreign government).
(c)(1)If a foreign government objects to the application of subsection (b) on the basis that subsection (b) provides for an extraterritorial application of the laws of the United States, the Secretary shall waive the application of subsection (b) to a foreign air carrier licensed by that foreign government at such time as an alternative prohibition negotiated under paragraph (2) becomes effective and is enforced by the Secretary.
(2)If, pursuant to paragraph (1), a foreign government objects to the prohibition under subsection (b), the Secretary shall enter into bilateral negotiations with the objecting foreign government to provide for an alternative smoking prohibition.
(d)(1)The use of an electronic cigarette shall be treated as smoking for purposes of this section.
(2)In this section, the term “electronic cigarette” means a device that delivers nicotine to a user of the device in the form of a vapor that is inhaled to simulate the experience of smoking.
(e)The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 4170649 App.:1374(d)(1).Aug. 23, 1958, Pub. L. 85–726, 72 Stat. 731, § 404(d)(1); added Dec. 22, 1987, Pub. L. 100–202, § 328(a), 101 Stat. 1329–382; Nov. 21, 1989, Pub. L. 101–164, § 335 (less

Effective Date

), 103 Stat. 1098, 1099. 49 App.:1374 (note).Nov. 21, 1989, Pub. L. 101–164, § 335 (related to

Effective Date

), 103 Stat. 1099. In subsection (a), before clause (1), the words “On and after the date of expiration of the 4-month period following December 22, 1987” are omitted as executed. The words “of an aircraft” are added for clarity. The text of 49 App.:1374 (note) is omitted as executed.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 115–254 added subsec. (d) and redesignated former subsec. (d) as (e). 2012—Pub. L. 112–95, § 401(a)(1), substituted “passenger” for “scheduled” in section catchline. Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 112–95, § 401(a)(2), added subsecs. (a) and (b) and struck out former subsecs. (a) and (b) which read as follows: “(a) Smoking Prohibition in Intrastate and Interstate Air Transportation.—An individual may not smoke in an aircraft in scheduled passenger interstate air transportation or scheduled passenger intrastate air transportation. “(b) Smoking Prohibition in Foreign Air Transportation.—The Secretary of Transportation shall require all air carriers and foreign air carriers to prohibit smoking in any aircraft in scheduled passenger foreign air transportation.” 2000—Pub. L. 106–181 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “(a) General.—An individual may not smoke in the passenger cabin or lavatory of an aircraft on a scheduled airline flight segment in air transportation or intrastate air transportation that is— “(1) between places in a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands; “(2) between a place in any jurisdiction referred to in clause (1) of this subsection (except Alaska and Hawaii) and a place in any other of those jurisdictions; or “(3)(A) scheduled for not more than 6 hours’ duration; and “(B)(i) between a place referred to in clause (1) of this subsection (except Alaska and Hawaii) and Alaska or Hawaii; or “(ii) between Alaska and Hawaii. “(b)

Regulations

.—The Secretary of Transportation shall prescribe

Regulations

necessary to carry out this section.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2000 Amendment Pub. L. 106–181, title VII, § 708(b), Apr. 5, 2000, 114 Stat. 159, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall take effect on the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Apr. 5, 2000].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 41706

Title 49 — Transportation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73