But why do we still find ashtrays on airplanes?

Some remember that time with nostalgia. For others, it’s a comfort they won’t go back on. From 2006 and the decree resulting from the “Evin” law “smoking is prohibited in places intended for collective use, in particular, in schools and public transport, except for those places that are specifically intended for smokers.“. It is obvious that it has been more than 15 years since it is no longer possible to smoke on buses, trains and planes. A ban that has been in place for much longer in the airline industry. From the 1990s and early 2000s, European legislation and a number of companies, including Air France, restricted and then banned the use of tobacco on flights.

If smoking is banned in airplanes from now on, then there will be a trace – ashtrays in toilets. Neglect? No This accessory is available for security reasons. It is even the demand of European and American civil aviation authorities. Because, let’s not forget, a person can always violate the established rules. Take shelter in restrooms and smoke out of sight. He should then be able to put out the cigarette without starting a fire. This is where the ashtray comes in, the best container for this type of work.

An accident at the beginning of realization

Please note that the ashtray is not a smoking incentive, but a safety accessory. Because, we remind you, smoking on the plane or damaging the smoke detectors is punishable by a fine. First of all, lighting a cigarette in the air can have tragic consequences. On July 11, 1973, Varig 820, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, had to make an emergency landing a few kilometers from arrival. Reason ? A poorly extinguished cigarette, then thrown into a trash can, could have caused a fire that quickly spread to the cabin and cockpit. The outcome of this accident will be dramatic. 123 of the 134 passengers on the plane died, almost all of them died of suffocation. At the time, the tragedy raised awareness about the dangers of smoking on airplanes. And contributed to the change of the legislation on the subject.