Aircraft ashtrays remain in planes despite long-standing smoking bans

Despite smoking being banned on aircraft for over 25 years, many planes still feature built-in ashtrays in lavatories. According to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), these were originally installed to provide a safe disposal method for smokers to prevent fire hazards caused by improperly discarded cigarette butts.

Since 2019, the installation of ashtrays in new aircraft is no longer mandatory, though airlines may still choose to include them. As smoking bans have become firmly established, the safety necessity of these fixtures has decreased, leading to their gradual disappearance in newer plane models.