One has to adhere to certain restrictions when travelling by plane, which include not smoking. Smoking in the airplane is not only against the law, but also results in huge fines and even imprisonment.
Nevertheless, in spite of such a prohibition, if you take a look at the door of the washroom in the plane, you may notice that there is a small ashtray in it. But then the question appears: why do airlines install ashtrays in the washroom if smoking is forbidden on the planes? Let us see what the answer is.
Safety Reasons
The main purpose of ashtrays aboard is the safety of passengers. According to aviation security authorities, no matter how strict the rules are, there is always somebody who violates them. In case some passengers cannot stop smoking and do so in the washroom, where should he/she put his/her burning cigarette butt?
If there’s no ashtray in the washroom, they’re likely to throw the burning cigarette butt in the dustbin in a hurry. Throwing a burning cigarette into the dustbin could cause a fire. A fire on a plane at an altitude of 30,000 feet is one of the most dangerous accidents.
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Therefore, airlines operate on the principle of minimum risk. Breaking the rules is a crime, but to prevent the entire plane from catching fire, an ashtray is kept in the washroom for safety reasons.
A Tragic Accident in History
This rule for ashtrays on airplanes wasn’t made without reason. It stems from a tragic incident from 1973. In 1973, a flight was traveling from Brazil to Paris, but shortly before landing, a fire broke out in the washroom. This forced the pilot to make an emergency landing, but approximately 120 people died in the incident.
The exact cause of the plane fire was not determined, but a burning cigarette thrown into the dustbin was suspected. Since then, it has been legally required to have ashtrays in airplane washrooms. Therefore, there’s no need to be surprised by an ashtray in an airplane washroom. It’s simply part of fire safety protocol.
