Yes, Brisbane Airport (BNE) has designated smoking areas, headlined by an open-air Smoking Balcony on Level 3 of the International Terminal Departures Lounge — after security and passport control, behind The Coffee Club. It is the only post-security smoking facility at any Australian airport. The Domestic Terminal has sheltered outdoor smoking areas at both ends of the building, before security.
Brisbane’s balcony is part of a small club of open-air after-security spots — see Auckland Airport’s open-air smoking deck after security and Singapore Changi’s open-air smoking gardens after security.
International Terminal — Smoking Balcony on Level 3 (After Security)
The Smoking Balcony sits airside on Level 3, inside the Departures Lounge, once you have cleared both security screening and passport control. From the main duty-free and dining concourse, head towards the A gates and look behind The Coffee Club — travellers place the entrance door near Gate 80. It is an open-air balcony reserved for ticketed departing and transit passengers, free to use, with no time limit posted.
Two things to know before you go looking. First, signage inside the lounge is minimal, so the balcony is easy to walk straight past — ask any staff member or the information desk to point you to it. Second, it remains on Brisbane Airport’s official facilities list — “one designated Smoking Balcony at the International Terminal, on Level 3 in the Departures Lounge” — so it is a reliable stop on long-haul itineraries through Brisbane.
International Terminal — Landside and Arrivals
Everything inside the terminal building is smoke-free. Arriving passengers, and anyone who has not cleared security, can use the designated outdoor smoking areas at ground level outside the terminal, located at either end of the building near the arrivals doors. Queensland’s smoke-free rules require smokers to stand at least 5 metres from terminal entrances, and the marked areas are set back accordingly — stay within the signed boundaries.
Domestic Terminal — Outdoor Smoking Areas
There are no smoking areas inside the Domestic Terminal building. Sheltered outdoor smoking areas sit at either end of the terminal, outside the building and before security — one towards the Qantas end and one towards the Virgin Australia end, reachable from both the departures and arrivals levels. Once you pass the domestic screening point there is no smoking access, so plan your last cigarette outside before you go through.
Transit and Connecting Passengers
Brisbane is the standout Australian airport for connections. If you are connecting between two international flights, stay airside and use the Level 3 Smoking Balcony — no immigration, no re-screening, no risk to your connection. This is the routing advantage our Australia guide highlights for Asia-Pacific and Europe-bound itineraries.
For an international-to-domestic connection, you clear immigration and customs anyway; smoke at the outdoor areas outside either terminal before re-screening for your domestic leg. For domestic-to-international, the smart play is to clear international security first and then use the balcony airside. Domestic-to-domestic connections have no airside option: exit the terminal, use the sheltered outdoor areas, and allow 30 to 45 minutes to re-clear security. The two terminals are linked by the terminal transfer bus (about 10 minutes) and the Airtrain.
Summary
| Location | Smoking Area | Access |
|---|---|---|
| International Terminal, Level 3 | Open-air Smoking Balcony behind The Coffee Club, near Gate 80 | Airside — after security and passport control |
| International Terminal, ground level | Designated outdoor areas at either end of the building | Landside — arrivals and public areas |
| Domestic Terminal | Sheltered outdoor areas at both ends | Landside — before security |
Vaping follows the same rules as smoking at Brisbane, so use the same balcony and outdoor areas; Australia supplies nicotine vapes through pharmacies only, so carry any prescription paperwork when travelling with a device.
For Australia airport smoking rules, the vape rules, and cigarette-cost detail, see our Australia smoking guide.