Belize Airport Smoking Areas

By , Author, Air Travel Writer · Updated

Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) — Belize’s only international gateway — keeps smoking outdoors, in the open air outside the terminal building, before security. There is no indoor or airside smoking facility, so the landside forecourt is the place to light up.

For international travel through Belize, Goldson (BZE) is the airport that matters, as the country’s sole international airport, in Ladyville north of Belize City.

How Belizean Airport Smoking Works

Belize currently has no national law restricting where smoking is allowed — a comprehensive Tobacco Control Bill has been before the National Assembly since October 2025 and had reached only a second reading, without passing, as of mid-2026 (National Assembly of Belize public records; 7 News Belize, 31 July 2026), so BZE’s indoor- and airside-smoke-free, outdoors-only practice is the airport’s own house rule rather than a legal mandate; if the bill is enacted as introduced, it would ban smoking in virtually all indoor and outdoor public spaces and public transport nationwide.

The Airport

Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE). Belize’s only international airport and main gateway, in Ladyville about 15 km north of Belize City, handling a little over 1 million passengers a year — the fifth-busiest airport in Central America. Belize City airport’s open-air smoking option sits outdoors, landside, outside the terminal building, before security; there is no smoking room past security.

Tips for Smokers at Belize Airports

  • BZE has no airside smoking — plan to smoke before security or accept a smoke-free layover
  • Smoke only in the open air outside the terminal building, landside
  • Vaping is currently unregulated by Belizean law; treat it the same as cigarettes at the airport out of courtesy
  • Watch for signage changes if the pending Tobacco Control Bill is enacted

Belize Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security

AirportAfter securityIndoor roomOutdoor area
Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE)––Yes

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you smoke at Belize City's Goldson Airport (BZE)?

Yes — outdoors, in the open air outside the terminal building, before security. There is no smoking facility inside the terminal at Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport.

Is there smoking after security at Belize City Airport?

The gate areas past security are smoke-free, with no published smoking room or terrace airside — no smoking facility after security is confirmed at BZE.

Are e-cigarettes and vapes allowed at Belize's airports?

BZE publishes no separate rule for e-cigarettes. Belize has no law regulating e-cigarettes at all, so vaping devices are legal to carry and use; the open-air landside option applies.

Where can I smoke at Belize City Airport?

Outdoors, landside, outside the terminal building before you clear security. That is the only smoking option at BZE.

Does Belize have a smoking law?

A Tobacco Control Bill covering smoke-free public spaces, transport and workplaces has been before the National Assembly since October 2025, reaching only a second reading as of mid-2026 and not passed into law. Belize currently has no national restriction on where smoking is allowed, and BZE’s outdoor-only practice is the airport’s own house rule rather than a legal requirement.