No smoking on airplanes, but why are there still ashtrays?
As much as it may seem like something out of this world to us today, smoking on board airplanes was allowed. A few decades ago it was [...]
As much as it may seem like something out of this world to us today, smoking on board airplanes was allowed. A few decades ago it was indeed the norm, to the point that there were no prohibitions for passengers as much as for stewardesses and pilots. Between travelers and cabin crew, therefore, a pall of smoke could easily come into existence that was annoying, to say the least, to the nonsmokers present. That all changed just over 30 years ago.
No smoking on airplane
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In the 1980s there was a clear separation on board airplanes. On one side were smokers and on the other side were nonsmokers. This obviated the problem of the thick toxic haze imposed on poor passengers not eager to light a cigarette (a laughable solution, considering how smoking reached other areas as well).
Two of my old tickets when you could still choose between smoking and non-smoking seats
Instead, a complete ban on smoking in airplanes was imposed in 1989.. A ban extended in Italy to all operating airlines. Here is the appearance of the warning light over the heads of passengers. Beyond the "mere" annoyance caused and the problems associated with secondhand smoke, what were the actual and immediate dangers of lit cigarettes on board?
- Fires - Whether it is a cigarette, a cigar, or something else, lighting a flame increases the risk of a fire spreading, which would be a potentially fatal accident;
- Oxygen - Smoking cigarettes, cigars and more decreases the amount of oxygen for passengers;
- Pressurized air - Allowing smoking on board results in a reduction in already pressurized cabin air.
Airplane ashtray
If there is an absolute ban on smoking in airplanes, why are they still present on board ashtrays? What use can they have in this era? It is natural to wonder what the point is, especially if they continue to be installed aboard new generation aircraft. It is not, therefore, about remnants of the past that have never been removed. Wanting to give a short answer, it can be said that it concerns the security assurance high altitude. Below, however, is the complete and detailed answer.
Does the fact that a ban exists absolutely guarantee that no one will choose to ignore it? The risk that a passenger will hide in the bathroom to light a cigarette is real, as is the risk that such an act will start a terrifying fire.
One incident initiated this custom. After what happened in 1973, all airlines featured an ashtray in the bathroom, in fact preferring not to trust the travelers on board. During a flight between Rio de Janeiro and Paris, a cigarette was thrown into the trash can in the lavatory, causing a fire that quickly spread through the aircraft. Panic spread and the pilot was forced to try his hand at a crash landing.
As many as 123 people died that day, most from asphyxiation, and 11 were injured. Also involved were 10 crew members. The presence of an ashtray is far from an incentive to smoke. It is a form of precaution for the good of all present. An element as small as it is crucial.
