Colombia Airport Smoking Areas

By , Author, Air Travel Writer · Updated

Colombia’s main airport is strictly outdoor-only for smokers. Bogotá El Dorado has no indoor smoking rooms and no airside smoking area — national law (Ley 1335 of 2009) bans smoking in enclosed public places, and the 2024 vaping law extended the same rule to e-cigarettes. For connecting passengers, that means you cannot smoke without leaving the secure zone.

For international travel through Colombia, Bogotá (BOG) is the main hub and Avianca’s base; Medellín, Cartagena and Cali serve domestic and regional traffic.

How Colombian Airport Smoking Works

Colombia’s smoke-free framework is comprehensive, and El Dorado applies it fully:

  • No indoor smoking and no airside smoking area anywhere in the airport
  • Smoking is permitted only outdoors, landside, away from the terminal entrances
  • E-cigarettes and vapes are regulated like cigarettes under Law 2354 of 2024 — banned in enclosed public spaces, outdoor only
  • Connecting passengers must clear immigration to smoke and then re-clear security

The Hub

El Dorado International Airport (BOG). Colombia’s primary gateway and one of the busiest airports in Latin America, Avianca’s main hub, west of central Bogotá. There is no smoking after security and no indoor room — sources do not even identify a marked outdoor “smoking zone,” so the practical guidance is simply to step outside the terminal, away from the doors. International transit passengers face a real time cost: to smoke, they must enter Colombia, smoke at the curb, then re-clear security.

Tips for Smokers at Colombian Airports

  • El Dorado is outdoor-only and landside-only — there is no way to smoke after security
  • On an Avianca connection, factor in immigration plus a security re-screen if you need to smoke during a layover
  • E-cigarettes are banned indoors too (Law 2354 of 2024) — vape outside, away from entrances
  • Step well clear of the terminal doors; there is no marked zone, so keep your distance to stay within the rules

Colombia Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security

AirportAfter securityIndoor roomOutdoor area
El Dorado International Airport (BOG)––Yes

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you smoke at Bogotá El Dorado Airport (BOG)?

Only outdoors, landside. El Dorado has no smoking areas after security and no indoor smoking rooms. Smoking is allowed only outside the terminal buildings, away from the entrances — so you must be landside to smoke.

Is there smoking after security at Bogotá Airport?

No — there is no airside smoking area and no indoor room at El Dorado. A passenger on an international connection cannot smoke without entering Colombia: clear immigration, smoke outside at the curb, then re-clear security to return. Budget extra time for this on a layover.

Are e-cigarettes and vapes allowed at Colombian airports?

Only outdoors. Colombia’s Law 2354 of 2024 regulates e-cigarettes, vapes and heated tobacco the same as cigarettes and bans them in enclosed public spaces, including the terminal. Vape outside, landside, away from the entrances.

Where can I smoke at El Dorado Airport?

Outside the terminal buildings, away from the doors. There is no marked airside smoking zone; smoking is landside and outdoors only. Step well away from the entrances to stay within the rules.

Why can't I smoke inside Bogotá Airport?

Colombia’s national smoke-free law (Ley 1335 of 2009) bans smoking in enclosed public places, and El Dorado follows it together with the local health regulation. Indoor smoking has been prohibited at the airport for years, and the 2024 law extended the same ban to vaping.