New Delhi: Whenever you board a plane, have you ever noticed an ashtray kept in the toilet? It is a common element found in almost all the flights. But, have you ever wondered why the ashtray would have been kept when smoking is completely prohibited on the plane?
The question comes in the minds of several passengers when they travel on planes. However, the reason behind this is not only surprising but also related to the safety rules on the plane.
In 1980s, the majority of the airlines across the world had banned smoking on the planes. After 2000, all the airlines had implemented this ban. The reason behind this is that if any smoke is released on a plane, it can be dangerous. Hence, smoking cigarettes on the plane is considered a crime and can lead to severe punishments.
Despite the ban on smoking, the question still arises: why are ashtrays kept in the toilets of the flights? The reason behind this is safety backup.
According to international aviation safety regulations, it is mandatory to have an ashtray in every commercial flight, especially in the toilets. Despite a strict ban on smoking, sometimes a few passengers go against the rule and try to do the act, which can be dangerous to the lives of the co-passengers. In such a case, if the person does not have a proper arrangement to extinguish the cigarette, the person can throw it in the trash can.
The waste bins in the toilets contain flammable materials like tissue paper, cotton balls, polythene, etc. If a cigarette is thrown there without being extinguished, the chances of a fire breaking out there increase drastically.
If a fire breaks out in the flight, it can become an emergency. Hence, ashtrays are kept in the toilets so that at least the unruly passenger can safely extinguish the cigarette.
However, this does not mean that smoking is allowed there. Rather, they are there to protect other passengers from smokers on the plane. This arrangement is kept as a ‘precautionary measure’. Airlines admit that some passengers do not follow the rules, but still take every precaution to ensure the safety of others on the plane.
