Yes, you can smoke at Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) — at the designated smoking areas located outside the terminal building. The terminal itself, and the area immediately around it, are smoke-free.
Owen Roberts International Airport, in George Town on Grand Cayman, is the Cayman Islands’ main gateway (the other being Charles Kirkconnell International on Cayman Brac).
Where to Smoke
The Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) publishes a specific smoking policy for its airports: smoking is prohibited inside the terminal at Owen Roberts and in its immediate surroundings, under the Tobacco Law enacted in 2008. That prohibition explicitly includes electronic cigarettes. The CIAA’s policy also states that designated smoking areas exist outside the terminal building.
After Security
The CIAA’s published policy addresses the terminal and its immediate surroundings as smoke-free, and the designated areas it names sit outside the building; the airport lists no smoking area past the security checkpoint at GCM.
Vaping
The CIAA’s smoking policy names electronic cigarettes specifically: they are covered by the same indoor ban as tobacco, both inside the terminal and in its immediate surroundings. Use the designated outdoor smoking areas for vaping, the same as for cigarettes.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Smoke-free, including e-cigarettes, under the Tobacco Law 2008 |
| Immediate surroundings | No | The ban extends beyond the terminal walls per CIAA policy |
| After security / airside | No | None listed |
| Outdoor (designated areas) | Yes | Outside the terminal building, per CIAA’s published policy |
| Vaping | Same as smoking | Designated outdoor areas only |
For Cayman Islands airport smoking rules and every other airport in the territory, see our Cayman Islands airport smoking guide.
Useful Links
Smoking Policy and Rules at CIAA (Cayman Islands Airports Authority, official)
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there smoking areas at Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM)?
Yes — at the designated smoking areas located outside the terminal. The Cayman Islands Airports Authority’s own published policy prohibits smoking inside the terminal and its immediate surroundings; the designated areas outside the building are for passengers who want to smoke.
Can I smoke inside Owen Roberts International Airport?
The terminal interior is smoke-free throughout, and the ban extends to the immediate surroundings of the building under the Cayman Islands’ Tobacco Law 2008. The designated smoking areas are further out, outside the terminal — that’s where to go for a cigarette.
Is there a smoking area after security at GCM?
Smoke at the designated areas outside the terminal before you go through security — the Cayman Islands Airports Authority’s policy makes the terminal and its immediate surroundings smoke-free, and the airport lists no smoking area past the security checkpoint.
Are e-cigarettes and vapes allowed at Grand Cayman Airport?
The airport’s own smoking policy explicitly includes electronic cigarettes in the indoor ban, so vaping is not permitted inside the terminal or its immediate surroundings. Use the same designated outdoor smoking areas as cigarettes.
Where can I smoke at Owen Roberts International Airport?
At the designated smoking areas located outside the terminal building, as set out in the Cayman Islands Airports Authority’s published smoking policy. The terminal and the area immediately around it are smoke-free.
What is the Cayman Islands' airport smoking law?
The Tobacco Law, enacted in 2008, bans smoking — including electronic cigarettes — inside airport terminals and their immediate surroundings at both Owen Roberts International (Grand Cayman) and Charles Kirkconnell International (Cayman Brac). The Cayman Islands Airports Authority provides designated outdoor smoking areas at both airports instead.
