CAN YOU TAKE VAPES ON A PLANE?

Us brits love a vacay!  And we love to vape.  But can you take your vapes on a plane?  There are lots of rules when you are travelling and they seem to be changing every day.

In the article, we'll outline all the things you should and shouldn't do when you are planning to take your vape or e-cigarette on a plane.

CAN YOU TAKE VAPES ON A PLANE?

The short answer is yes you can take your vape on a plane.  But you will have to take a few steps to ensure you have your vape when you arrive at your destination. The best thing to do is to pack your vape, e-cigarettes, e-liquids and vaping accessories in your carry-on luggage.  

Like laptops, mobile phones and other small electrical devices, vapes are considered by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as Personal Electronic Devices or PED's for short.

You should always remove your vape refills or tanks from your vape batteries and turn them off before you pack them into your carry-on luggage.  

The great news about taking your vapes on a plane in your carry-on luggage - if your check-in luggage gets lost, at least you still have your trusty vape when you land!

HOW SHOULD I PACK MY VAPE FOR AIR TRAVEL?

You should take the following steps to ensure you pack your vapes for air travel properly:

- Ensure you switch off you vape batteries.

- Remove any vape refills or mod tanks from all of your batteries.  If you use a refillable vape tank, we would recommend emptying the tank of all e-liquids so they do not leak or damage your atomizer when the plane's cabin is pressurised.

- Wrap all of your vape and e-cigarette batteries individually or pack them in the packaging they came in when you bought them.  This will ensure your rechargeable vape batteries do not short circuit or disrupt any electrical or navigation systems while flying.

- To be on the safe side, the CAA recommends that batteries and electrical goods are easy to access and remove them when going through security checks.  Most international airports require all electrical items to be removed from hand luggage and set out separately when put through the x-ray. 

- If you use e-liquids, you should pack your e-liquid bottles in a clear plastic bag so it is easy to remove them for inspection with your other liquids when you go through security checks.  Remember that you cannot take more than 100ml of any liquid per bottle on most international planes.

If you follow these simple instructions, you should have no problems taking your vapes on a plane.

CAN I USE MY VAPE IN THE AIRPORT?

Like most public buildings in the UK and the EU, smoking cigarettes or vaping is not allowed within an airport like Heathrow Airport [1].  Most airports do have designated smoking and vaping areas outside the building.  These designated vaping areas should be signposted.  

Once you pass through the security check-in, most UK airports do not have any smoking areas or designated vaping areas.  So if you struggle going without your vape for extended periods of time, you may want to consider taking another NRT (nicotine replacement therapies) with you like nicotine gum or nicotine pouches.

Some international airports in the EU and in other parts of the world may have designated smoking areas after security check-in and these areas will be signposted.  As long as vapes are legal in that country, then you should be able to use your vape in those designated smoking areas.

CAN I BRING E-LIQUID OR VAPE REFILLS ON A PLANE?

Yes and no.  This depends on the vaping laws in the country you are departing from and travelling to.  If vapes and e-cigarettes are banned in the country travelling from or to, then we would advise that you do not take e-liquids or vape refills when you travel.

However, if vaping is legal in both countries, then you can bring e-liquids on a plane.  With e-liquid bottles or vape refills, they should be packed into a clear plastic bag that you can easily remove and present to airport security staff at the security check-in.  

Most airports have a maximum of 100ml/bottle of liquid restriction for any type of liquid that you are permitted to take on a plane.

CAN I USE MY VAPE ON A PLANE?

Like smoking cigarettes, vaping or using an e-cigarette or a cigalike is prohibited worldwide on airplanes.  All airplanes are fitted with smoke detectors that can detect vapour produced by an electronic cigarette or a vape.  If you are caught vaping on a plane, you can face steep fines and possible criminal persecution.  

We would recommend that you never use your e-cigarette or vape on a plane under any circumstance. If you are a heavy vaper and struggle to go for extended periods without using your vape, we would recommend using a nicotine replacement product like nicotine sprays or nic gum.

CAN I USE NICOTINE REPLACEMENT PRODUCTS ON A PLANE?

Unlike vapes or e-cigarettes that produce a smoke-like vapour when you use them, NRT or Nicotine Replacement Therapy products like nicotine gum, nicotine patches and sprays or nicotine pouches do not produce any vapour.  As such, the use of nicotine gum or nicotine pouches on a plane are 100% legal to use.  

Travelling by plane can be a stressful time for most travellers but can be even more unbearable if you are a vaper or smoker.  Most people who use a vape kit or who smoke do so as a way to reduce stress.  So being in a confined space like an airplane or in an airport can raise stress levels if you don't have any nicotine.

We would highly recommend heavy smokers or vapers to use a discreet and legal nicotine product while flying to help manage your stress levels.

CAN I RECHARGE MY VAPE BATTERY ON A PLANE?

Technically, you should be able to recharge a vape battery on a plane as it is classified as a Personal Electrical Device (PED) [2] similar to a laptop or a mobile phone.  However, most airlines would not recommend that you recharge your vape battery on a plane.  Airline staff may take the view that you are trying to use your vape on a plane even though you are just trying to recharge your batteries.

So it is our recommendation that you do not recharge your vape battery on a plane to ensure you have a smooth travel experience.  

If you do recharge your vape battery on a plane and you are asked to stop by airline staff, please respect their request.

CAN I RECHARGE MY VAPE BATTERY IN AN AIRPORT?

As vape and e-cigarette batteries are classified as Personal Electrical Devices, there should be no issues recharging your vape batteries in the airport.  Most modern airports have recharging stations with USB ports throughout their terminals which are designed to allow travellers to conveniently recharge their electrical devices.

CAN I TAKE DISPOSABLE VAPES ON A PLANE?

Similar to other vapes and e-cigarettes, you can take disposable vapes on a plane in your hand luggage.  We would recommend that you pack your disposable vapes in the same manner as we described previously.

If you want to take your disposable vapes on a plane, you should follow these helpful tips:

- Keep your disposable vapes in their original packaging.  If you have a disposable vape that has removed from the packaging, you should wrap each disposable vape individually.

- Place all your individually packaged and wrapped disposable vapes in a clear plastic bag so you can easily remove them while you go through the security check-in.

- Do not use your disposable vape when you are on the plane or be tempted to use your disposable vape in the plane's toilets.

We would also recommend that you check with the airline to ensure what their policy is for how many disposable vapes you are permitted to take on a plane.

- Virgin Atlantic - does not set a limit to the number of disposable vapes you can take on a plane in your carry-on luggage.

- British Airways - states a maximum of 15 lithium-ion batteries are permitted to be carried in your hand luggage. [3]

- Ryan Air - the maximum number of disposable vapes they permit is 20 and must be stored in your carry-on luggage.

- easyJet - at the time of writing this article, easyjet does not specify a limit to the number of disposable vapes that you can take in your hand luggage.

- Jet2 - the maximum number of PED's allowed on a Jet2 flight are 15 per traveller and must be stored in your hand luggage. 

If you are using a disposable vape and you want to travel on a plane with them, please remember that you cannot under any circumstances use your disposable vape while on the airplane.

WHAT COUNTRIES CAN I TAKE MY VAPE INTO?

The international laws about vaping are constantly changing and many individual countries have their own rules and regulations.  So before you take your vape on a plane, it is very important to understand what the vaping laws are in your destination country.

While it is common knowledge that vaping and using and e-cigarette better than smoking and Public Health England state that "vaping is up to 95% less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes" [4], many countries around the world have take a draconian stance on the use and importation of e-cigarettes into their country.

Some of the countries where vaping is illegal include:

Argentina, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Colombia, Indonesia, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam


The following countries have various limitations and restrictions to the use or importing vapes:

Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Norway, Japan and the USA.

As the international laws are always changing, it is important to speak with your airline or travel agent to check on the legal status of vaping in the destination country you are travelling to.

An example of how quickly the vaping laws can change in an individual country, Australia recently announced that you can only get therapeutic vapes provided by a licensed pharmacy with a prescription from a doctor [5].  SMOKO used to send hundreds of orders to Australia every month up until January 1st 2024.

So it's best to be prepared before you take your vapes on a plane for a business or a holiday and check to ensure you are allowed to bring your vaping products into the country.

CAN YOU TAKE VAPES ON A PLANE CONCLUSION

In this article, we covered a range of topics relating to the common question asked by 1,000's of vapers everyday - Can I Take My Vape On A Plane.  Most airlines do allow you to take your vape on the airplane as long as they are packed properly and stored in your hand luggage.  However, the use a vape while you are on a plane is strictly forbidden and could result in severe fines and possible ban from future flights.

Before you pack up your bikini's and budgie-smugglers, your sunscreen and your flip flops, speak to your airline to ensure you are able to take your vapes on a plane!

SOURCES

[1] Heathrow Airport Smoking Areas

[2] UK Civil Aviation Authority Personal Electronic Devices

[3] British Airways Restricted and Prohibited Items

[4] Public Health England UK Government E-Cigarettes around 95% less harmful than tobacco review

[5] Department of Health and Aged Care Australia restriction on therapeutic vapes provided by a licensed pharmacy

 

  Written by: Mike Cameron