Here’s Why Planes Have Ashtrays Even Though Smoking On Flights Is Illegal

It's for safety!


Article heading image for Here’s Why Planes Have Ashtrays Even Though Smoking On Flights Is Illegal

Turns out there’s a really good reason planes have ashtrays in the bathrooms even though smoking has been banned on flights.

Basically, it’s “just in case”. They don’t trust you to follow the rules!

There are signs telling you not to smoke everywhere… and an ashtray right underneath.

It’s all for safety reasons… if someone WAS to light a cigarette and pop it in the bin, it could start a fire. 

After a 2009 British Airways flight to Mexico was grounded when it was discovered there was no ashtray onboard, a spokesperson said “if someone were to light a cigarette on board there must be somewhere to safely extinguish it.”

A fire caused a plane to crash in 1973, killing 123 people… and it was suspected that the fire may have been started by a cigarette.

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