FAA Introduces New Rules for No Smoking Signs in Aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a major update to its regulations concerning “No Smoking” signs on commercial aircraft. This long-awaited modernization will take effect 60 days after its anticipated publication on August 23, 2024.

The new rule allows airlines to use “No Smoking” signs that remain continuously illuminated or can be toggled on and off by the crew, addressing a longstanding inconsistency in the existing regulations.

The FAA is introducing this change as a “direct final rule,” signaling that it anticipates minimal or no objections. According to the FAA, the revised rule will not impose any new duties on regulated entities and is expected to have little to no practical impact on the American flying public.

For nearly three decades, the FAA has recognized a contradiction between the widespread ban on smoking in aircraft and the requirement for aircraft to have “No Smoking” signs that could be turned off. This issue came to the forefront six months ago when United Airlines faced challenges with its A321neo fleet due to the inability to turn off the non-smoking signs.

United requested and received an exemption from the FAA, which allowed them to quickly resume flights with their A321neo aircraft. Following this, other airlines also sought similar exemptions, all of which were granted.

With the new regulation, aircraft manufacturers are not required to make any modifications to existing planes. They can continue using the manually-operated “No Smoking” signs, and there will no longer be a need to install physical or software switches for controlling these signs. The FAA emphasized that this rule change is primarily technical, aligning with practices that have already been subject to exemptions.