Yes. You can smoke at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) — outdoors only landside, on the open-air areas outside the terminal building before security. There is no airside or indoor smoking, so light up before you clear the checkpoint.
Mariscal Sucre is Quito’s only commercial gateway and Ecuador’s largest airport. It opened in February 2013 in Tababela, about 18 km east of the city, replacing the cramped old in-city airport, and sits at roughly 2,400 m (7,900 ft) — one of South America’s most modern terminals, run by concessionaire Quiport. A single passenger terminal handles domestic and international flights side by side, and like every enclosed public building in Ecuador it is completely smoke-free inside.
Where to Smoke
Smoking at UIO is outdoors and landside only, before security. The most reliable spots are the open-air areas flanking each end of the terminal, beside the departures and arrivals halls — step out through the main doors and use the forecourt, drop-off lanes and open ground away from the entrances. The official airport site lists no dedicated smoking facility, so keep to the open air and clear of doorways and other travellers.
There is no indoor smoking room and no airside terrace anywhere in the building. Ecuador’s Organic Law for the Regulation and Control of Tobacco bans smoking in enclosed public spaces with no exemption for airports, so the terminal stays fully smoke-free from check-in to the gates, the lounges included.
Connecting passengers cannot smoke without leaving the secure area. You must clear immigration and exit the terminal to reach the outdoor areas, then re-clear security (and any immigration checks) before your onward flight, so plan around your connection time.
Because UIO sits well outside the city at altitude and many international flights leave late in the evening, allow extra time for the round trip: the walk from the outdoor smoking areas back through security and immigration can be slow during peak departure banks. Domestic passengers connecting onward face the same one-way journey — once you are past the checkpoint, your next smoke break is at your destination, so have that final cigarette landside before you commit to security.
Vaping
Vaping is treated the same as smoking under the indoor ban. Do not vape anywhere inside the terminal — use the same open-air areas outside the building, landside only.
Summary table
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor (terminal) | No | Fully smoke-free; no indoor smoking room |
| After security / airside | No | No airside smoking area or terrace |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Open-air areas outside the terminal before security |
For Ecuador’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Ecuador airport guide.