Yes, you can smoke at Guernsey Airport (GCI) — in the designated areas outside the terminal building, landside, before security. The airport’s standing notice covers both islands it runs: smoking, including e-cigarettes, is only permitted in designated areas outside of the Guernsey or Alderney Airport terminal buildings. After screening there is nothing: the official security guidance confirms no smoking or vaping facilities airside, and that once through security there is no way to exit.
Guernsey Airport at Forest is the bailiwick’s single gateway and the home base of Aurigny, the States-owned airline, with links to Gatwick, regional UK cities, Jersey and Alderney. The terminal is a single-level, step-free building that opens around 05:30 and closes about 21:00, and the airport asks passengers to arrive roughly 90 minutes before departure.
Before Security: Outside the Terminal
The designated smoking areas sit outside the terminal building, landside. The 30-minute free parking, drop-off and the front doors are all within a minute of each other, so an outdoor cigarette before check-in costs almost no time. These outdoor areas run on an exemption granted when the States’ Trading Assets estate went smoke-free in 2019, so follow the signage on the day — the marked spots are where smoking remains permitted.
After Security
This is the airport where “smoke first” is not just advice. The official security guidance answers the question directly: there are no facilities to smoke or vape once through security, and once through security there is no way to exit. Whatever your departure time, the designated outdoor area before screening is your last cigarette until you land.
Vaping
E-cigarettes are named in the airport’s notice and follow the same rule as tobacco: designated outdoor areas only, landside, and nothing once you are through security. The Bailiwick Bar serves both sides of security, and neither side of it permits smoking or vaping.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the terminal | No | Smoke-free throughout, e-cigarettes included |
| After security / airside | No | No smoking or vaping facilities, and no way to exit once through |
| Outside the terminal (landside) | Yes | Designated areas outside the building — follow the signage |
For Guernsey’s smoking law and how the island treats vaping, see our Guernsey airport guide.