Yes, you can smoke at Salvador–Deputado Luís Eduardo Magalhães International Airport (SSA), known as Salvador Bahia Airport — outdoors, landside, outside the terminal. Brazilian federal law (Lei 12.546/2011) bans smoking in enclosed public spaces, so SSA’s terminal interior is smoke-free; the open-air ground outside it is not covered by that ban.
Salvador Bahia Airport is the main gateway to Bahia’s capital, about 22 km northeast of downtown Salvador. VINCI Airports has operated it since 2017; one integrated terminal handles both domestic and international flights, and it carries just over 7 million passengers a year.
Where to Smoke
SSA permits smoking in the open air outside the terminal, landside, because Brazil’s indoor-smoking ban reaches only enclosed spaces, not the ground around the building. No specific spot is marked or signed as a smoking area; move a few steps clear of the doors before lighting up.
After Security — Airside
SSA has no confirmed airside smoking facility. The boarding area beyond security falls under Brazil’s federal indoor ban, so plan to smoke before joining the security queue. A connecting or waiting passenger who wants to smoke would need to leave the secure zone and re-clear security to reach the landside ground outside the terminal — allow extra time for the second screening. If your layover is long enough for that round trip, see our guide to smoking during layovers.
Vaping
Vaping is covered by the same national rule as cigarettes at SSA. Brazil’s ANVISA Resolution RDC 855/2024 restricts e-cigarette use in enclosed collective spaces; Salvador Bahia Airport has published no separate vaping policy, so use the outdoor, landside ground outside the terminal. For a broader look at the country’s vape rules, see our guide on vaping at airports.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Covered by Brazil’s federal indoor-smoking ban |
| After security / airside | Unconfirmed | No airside smoking facility confirmed |
| Landside, outside the terminal | Yes | Permitted in the open air, before security |
| Vaping | Yes, outdoors | Same landside ground as cigarettes; ANVISA RDC 855/2024 covers enclosed spaces |
Salvador has no confirmed airside smoking option — for the country’s one exception, the paid open-air terraces airside at São Paulo Guarulhos Airport (GRU), see our guide to that terminal.
For Brazil’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Brazil airport smoking guide.