Smoking onboard has been illegal on flights for decades. But frequent or “the sharp eyed” passengers may notice a relic from an earlier age on every flight – ashtray in the toilet. So, the question: why is the humble ashtray in the toilet still needed on planes?
Airlines don’t trust passengers, so they put ashtrays in the toilets just in case. Airlines fear smokers could panic and not dispose of their illicit cigarette properly, by dropping it in the sink or down the paper towel dispenser. Rather than risking a fire or alarming other passengers, it was judged to be better that planes have a safe disposal method in place.
