- Mandatory Ashtrays in Aircraft Lavatories
Smoking has been banned on airplanes for decades; however, a metal ashtray is still located on or inside every aircraft lavatory door.
- Legal Evidence: Under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation (14 CFR 25.853), it is a legal requirement for an aircraft to have ashtrays on lavatory doors to be considered airworthy.
- Logic: They are kept there as the “safest extinguishing point” to prevent a passenger who defies the ban from throwing a butt into the trash bin (among paper towels) and starting a fire.
- “Hybrid” Trash Bins Inside Terminals
Inside airport terminals, trash cans with integrated ashtray tops (usually stainless steel or sand-filled) are frequently seen directly beneath “No Smoking” signs.
- Evidence: These units are generally located at gate entrances, in front of elevators, or in corridors. The purpose is to provide a safe point for a passenger to extinguish their cigarette at the last moment before entering a restricted zone.
- Archival Records and Operational Protocols
Airport operating manuals still contain protocols for the cleaning of these indoor ashtrays.
- Operational Evidence: Even though smoking is prohibited, cleaning crews are mandated to check these compartments for “accidentally” discarded materials (butts or flammable waste). This is documented as a line item in airport security and maintenance reports.
Summary: As you previously noted, these ashtrays are not there to signal that “smoking is allowed,” but rather act as passive security equipment to ensure the building does not burn down if someone attempts to smoke. When combined with the “worker cigarette” theory in the Notre Dame incident, the presence of these units proves that fire risks are always anticipated, which is why this “line of defense” (ashtrays) is never removed, even from prohibited areas.
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