Some Lithuanians can’t stand the flight: they commit a violation in the toilet, for which they face a fine

Virgis (real name known to the editors) says that he smoked a disposable electronic cigarette during the flight in the toilet of the plane and was not caught by the staff.

“I was a little stressed from the rush to get on the plane and I was on my way to work in Norway at the time, so in general I experienced a lot of stress,” he said, adding that he could smoke on the plane again and why he did it.

In the head of a young guy, smoking electronic cigarettes on the plane does not disturb other passengers and does not pose a danger, so he is not afraid to do it again, as long as he did not burn himself and was caught.

“I think it’s quite adequate to have a couple of smokes of your own without disturbing anyone, especially if it helps relieve the stress of the flight.” And as I said, it is possible to smoke without smoking and without stinking cabins. “I would definitely not support or understand smoking Iqoso or traditional cigarettes,” Virgis testified.

However, in the young man’s opinion, insurance is necessary.

“If smoking was allowed freely, people would really use it to the maximum, and then it could be both unpleasant and dangerous for non-smoking passengers,” explained the interviewer, why he supports the ban on smoking on the plane during the flight.

Warning passengers: smoke detectors are extremely sensitive

Vytautas Akstinas, head of aviation security at GetJet Airlines, points out that some smokers, when they see a no-smoking sign on airplanes, often think that it prohibits smoking tobacco cigarettes. Therefore, they unknowingly start smoking electronic cigarettes in airplane cabins.

However, he emphasizes that the pre-flight briefing always mentions that smoking of any kind on the plane is strictly prohibited. However, in his opinion, some people do not listen to the messages of the flight attendants, and therefore behave inappropriately.

According to V. Akstin, the worst thing is when people maliciously smoke on the plane knowing that it is prohibited. However, there are very sensitive smoke detectors for this.

“Smoke detectors detect smoke from both regular cigarettes and electronic cigarettes – all types of vapors and gases. For example, people like to smell perfumes in the toilets, so even smoke detectors sometimes react to them,” says the company’s security manager.

Nevertheless, most of the time passengers themselves inform about people smoking on the plane because they smell the smell.

Those who smoke on the plane face fines and sometimes blacklisting

According to Viltė Vileikytė, a flight attendant interviewed by the news portal tv3.lt, when a smoker is caught, the plane’s staff usually ask them to hand over the smoking devices, and when the plane lands, the police are usually waiting for the smoker.

“The captain of the plane has already contacted the services on the ground. However, sometimes you have to stay with a person longer and wait for the officers, and then he pays a fine,” she says.

V. Akstinas points out that the responsibility for smoking on the plane is the same as for smoking in any prohibited place according to the laws of the country to which the flight is being flown.

In Lithuania, it can be a fine of 15 euros, if it is the first administrative offense. If it is the second, there may be a fine of 30 euros.

“Some passengers know that the fines are small, so they are not afraid to smoke on the plane,” he explains.

However, laws on this issue differ between countries, so some airlines, in order to prevent smoking on the plane, hang signs on the toilet doors, stating that smoking in the toilet can lead to fines of up to 3,000 euros.

“Her [oro linijos] assesses that the maximum fine for such an offense in some country could theoretically be 3,000 euros, and warns passengers about this,” asserts the aviation security manager of GetJet Airlines.

Still, he said, airlines are taking into account the fact that fine-free smokers are on the rise, and unruly passengers may be blacklisted by some airlines.

“It depends on the seriousness of the offense, but it happens that the airlines are blacklisted and the passenger can no longer fly on those airlines. Normally, a passenger who has smoked on previous flights is given a pledge to sign not to smoke during the flight when checking in for the next flight. Such passengers are boarded only after the crew receives that promise. They are also not served alcohol during the entire flight, and are closely monitored by the flight attendants“, assures V. Akstinas.

Please consider other passengers and flight attendants’ time

V. Akstinas admits that smoking electronic cigarettes does not pose a great danger to the plane, the safety of passengers and plane workers. It’s more a matter of passenger awareness.

“It’s a matter of maturity how we treat other passengers during the flight, especially young children who are in harm’s way.”

If someone smokes on the plane, it also takes up the time of the flight attendants, even though they have to ensure the safety of the flight. There are many procedures that the attendant is responsible for. If the attendants have to take care of every smoking incident, it means that less time can be spent on safety procedures,” he explains.

Flight attendant Viltė Vileikytė draws attention to the danger caused by electronic cigarettes that contain lithium batteries.

“Her [ličio baterijos] increases the possibility of ignition and fire in the aircraft. To avoid this, it would be best for the passenger to turn off the electronic cigarettes and store them safely in the suitcase until they reach the smoking area,” she warns.