Smoking at Ethiopia Airports (ADD)

Ethiopia has a strict tobacco law on paper, but Addis Ababa Bole — Africa’s busiest hub — keeps designated indoor smoking rooms after security in practice, confirmed on the lounge operators’ own pages. That’s important, because huge numbers of travellers connect through Bole on Ethiopian Airlines with long layovers. The one hard rule to remember: vapes are illegal in Ethiopia.

For international travel through Ethiopia, Addis Ababa Bole (ADD) is the airport that matters; it is the gateway for almost all of Ethiopian Airlines’ vast network.

How Ethiopian Airport Smoking Works

Ethiopia’s 2019 food and medicine proclamation declares indoor public places smoke-free, but enforcement is weak and Bole operates indoor smoking rooms anyway:

A public indoor smoking room in the Terminal 2 international departures/transit area
Lounge smoking rooms in the Plaza Premium, Cloud Nine and Sheba Silver lounges (operator-confirmed)
E-cigarettes and vapes are illegal nationwide — import, sale and use are all banned; do not bring one
Outdoor smoking is landside only — transit passengers depend on the indoor rooms

The Hub

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD). The largest hub in Africa and Ethiopian Airlines’ base. After security in Terminal 2, travellers report a public smoking room near Gates A11–A12, around the corner from the prayer rooms — though a 2025 terminal expansion may have relocated it. The Plaza Premium Lounge (after passport control, 24h), the Ethiopian Airlines Cloud Nine business lounge, and the Sheba Silver Lounge (opened 2024) each have a designated smoking room. Lighters are often confiscated at the transit re-screening, so plan to use the rooms.

Tips for Smokers at Ethiopian Airports

Bole has airside smoking rooms — essential for the long Ethiopian Airlines layovers
Do not bring a vape to Ethiopia — e-cigarettes are illegal and banned even in the smoking rooms
Lighters are frequently confiscated at transit security; the smoking rooms usually have a way to light up
Signage is poor and the room may have moved with the 2025 expansion — ask staff for the smoking room

Ethiopia Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security

Airport	After security	Indoor room	Outdoor area
Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD)	Yes	Yes	–

Last updated: June 18, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you smoke at Addis Ababa Bole Airport (ADD)?

Yes — despite Ethiopia’s strict tobacco law, Addis Ababa Bole keeps designated indoor smoking rooms after security. There is a public smoking room in the Terminal 2 international departures area (travellers report near Gates A11–A12), plus smoking rooms in the Plaza Premium, Cloud Nine and Sheba Silver lounges. This matters for long Ethiopian Airlines layovers.

Are e-cigarettes and vapes legal in Ethiopia?

No. E-cigarettes, vapes and heated-tobacco products are illegal nationwide in Ethiopia — import, sale and use are all prohibited under the 2019 food and medicine proclamation. Ethiopian Airlines’ own lounge rules also ban e-cigarettes even in the designated smoking area. Do not bring a vape.

Is there smoking after security at Addis Ababa Airport?

Yes — the indoor smoking rooms in the Terminal 2 transit/departures area and in the lounges are all airside, so transit passengers can smoke without leaving the secure zone. Note that lighters are frequently confiscated at the transit re-screening, so you may depend on the rooms (and the lighters available there).

Where is the smoking room at Addis Ababa Bole Airport?

Travellers report a public smoking room in the Terminal 2 international departures area, around the corner from the prayer rooms (near Gates A11–A12). A 2025 terminal expansion may have moved it, so follow the signage or ask staff. The Plaza Premium, Cloud Nine and Sheba Silver lounges also have smoking rooms.

Can I smoke outdoors at Addis Ababa Airport?

Outdoor smoking is landside only, before security. Transit passengers realistically rely on the indoor airside smoking rooms, since reaching an outdoor area would mean leaving the secure zone.