Georgia Airport Smoking Areas

By , Author, Air Travel Writer · Updated

Georgia passed a strict indoor smoking ban in 2018, but it deliberately exempted airport transit zones — which is why Tbilisi Airport still has airside smoking when most of the country went smoke-free. The airside option is an open-air terrace, not an enclosed room.

For international travel through Georgia, Tbilisi (TBS) is the airport that matters; Batumi and Kutaisi serve regional traffic.

How Georgian Airport Smoking Works

Georgia’s 2018 law bans indoor smoking but explicitly exempts airport transit zones:

  • Airside smoking survives at Tbilisi via an open-air terrace off the departure lounge
  • The indoor hall is smoke-free (no enclosed indoor room)
  • Outdoor smoking landside near the entrance
  • E-cigarettes and heated tobacco are treated like cigarettes — terrace or outdoors only

The Hub

Tbilisi International Airport (TBS). Georgia’s main gateway, TAV-operated. Travellers report an open-air smoking terrace accessible from the airside departure lounge — the law’s “transit zones of airports” exemption is why airside smoking persists here. The indoor departure hall is non-smoking.

Tips for Smokers at Georgian Airports

  • Tbilisi keeps airside smoking — head to the open-air terrace off the departure lounge
  • It’s an open-air terrace, not an enclosed room — dress for the weather
  • E-cigarettes and IQOS follow the same rule as cigarettes — terrace or outdoors only
  • The transit-zone exemption means you don’t need to clear immigration to smoke

Georgia Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security

AirportAfter securityIndoor roomOutdoor area
Tbilisi International Airport (TBS)Yes–Yes

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you smoke at Tbilisi Airport (TBS)?

Yes — you can smoke after security at Tbilisi Airport. Georgia’s strict 2018 indoor smoking ban explicitly exempts airport transit zones, and travellers report an open-air smoking terrace off the airside departure lounge. The indoor hall itself is smoke-free.

Is there smoking after security at Tbilisi Airport?

Yes — an open-air smoking terrace is accessible from the airside departure lounge, so transit passengers can smoke without clearing immigration, thanks to the law’s transit-zone exemption.

Are e-cigarettes and vapes allowed at Georgian airports?

Only where smoking is allowed. Georgia’s 2018 law treats e-cigarettes and heated tobacco the same as cigarettes — banned in enclosed areas, permitted only on the airside terrace or outdoors.

Where can I smoke at Tbilisi Airport?

On the open-air smoking terrace off the airside departure lounge (traveller-reported), and at uncovered outdoor areas near the terminal entrance landside.

Why does Tbilisi Airport still allow smoking after the 2018 ban?

Because Georgia’s 2018 indoor smoking ban specifically carves out ’transit zones of airports’ as an exception — so the airside smoking terrace survived even though indoor public smoking is otherwise banned nationwide.