Yes, you can smoke at Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport (PUQ) in Punta Arenas. Open-air smoking outside the terminal building, landside, is permitted under Chilean law; the airport publishes no designated smoking area, and no smoking facility after security is confirmed.
PUQ is Chile’s southernmost major airport, the gateway to Chilean Patagonia.
Outside the Terminal
Open-air smoking outside the terminal building, landside, is permitted under Chile’s national smoke-free law, which bans smoking only in enclosed public places. PUQ’s own site publishes no designated or signposted smoking spot.
After Security
No smoking facility after security is confirmed at PUQ. The departure lounge and its shops are smoke-free under the same national law that covers the rest of the terminal.
Vaping
Chile’s Ley 21.642, published 4 January 2024, extends the same tobacco restrictions to e-cigarettes, so vaping follows the identical rule at PUQ: permitted in the open air outside the terminal, banned inside the building.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Smoke-free throughout under Chile’s national law |
| After security / airside | No | No smoking facility confirmed |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Permitted in the open air outside the terminal building |
| Vaping | Same as smoking | Outdoors only, under Ley 21.642 |
Travellers connecting onward from PUQ often route through Santiago Airport (SCL). For general advice on smoking during a connection, see our guide to smoking during layovers.
For Chile’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Chile airport guide.