--- title: "Dublin Airport Hopes to Announce a New Smoking Area in 2026 After Years of Passenger Requests" canonical: "https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/news/dublin-airport-new-smoking-area-2026/" language: "en-us" description: "Dublin Airport hopes to announce a new terminal smoking area after years of passenger requests. The Garden Terrace in Terminal 1 is still the only airside spot." lastmod: "2026-10-09T00:00:00Z" --- # Dublin Airport Hopes to Announce a New Smoking Area in 2026 After Years of Passenger Requests Dublin Airport says it hopes to announce plans soon for a new smoking area in one of its terminals, after years of passenger requests. The news comes as Ireland’s busiest airport continues to invest in passenger facilities following a record-breaking 2025\. ## A New Smoking Area Hoped For at Dublin Airport Speaking in late December 2025, Graeme McQueen, DAA head of media relations, said: “We’re hopeful of being able to soon announce plans for a new smoking area in terminal – which has been a constant ask from passengers in recent years.” Currently, Dublin Airport has just one smoking area after security – The Garden Terrace in Terminal 1\. Travellers have described a 10-15 minute airside walk to it from Terminal 2; a reader on our Dublin page, departing from Pier 4 on 5 October 2026, was told by five staff members that there is no connection after security, and the airport publishes no route between the terminals for departing passengers, so Terminal 2 passengers should ask staff or smoke before security. ## Record Passenger Numbers in 2025 The announcement comes as Dublin Airport revealed impressive statistics for 2025: - Over **35 million passengers** traveled through the airport - Guinness sales topped **€8 million** – a testament to the popularity of Irish pints before flights - More than **43 tonnes of Toblerone** were sold in duty-free - **409,000 litres of Irish whiskey** purchased by travelers ## Other 2026 Improvements The smoking area is part of broader terminal improvements planned for 2026, including: - A revamped duty-free area in Terminal 1 - A new lounge in Terminal 1, twice the size of the previous one - An upgraded 51st and Green lounge in Terminal 2 In 2025, the airport completed the rollout of new C3 scanners in both terminals, removing the 100ml liquid limit – making travel significantly more convenient for passengers. ## Current Smoking Options at Dublin Airport Until the new smoking area opens, travelers can use: - **The Garden Terrace (Terminal 1\)** – An outdoor beer garden after security, located on the upper level near gates 101-224. Features a bar serving Guinness and other drinks. - **Outside Terminal 1** – Designated area outside the departures entrance, refreshed in September 2026 - **Outside Terminal 2** – Designated area near departures entrance **Update (September 2026):** The Garden Terrace in Terminal 1 is still the only airside smoking area at Dublin Airport. Answering “Are there smoking areas airside in Terminals 1 and 2?”, the airport’s own FAQ says: “Terminal 1’s Garden Terrace Bar has a smoking area” — no second airside facility is listed. Terminal 2 passengers should ask staff whether the airside walk to Terminal 1 is open, or smoke before security. We will update this article when the new area is announced. **Update (October 2026):** Dublin Airport has [refreshed the smoking area outside Terminal 1 departures](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/news/dublin-airport-t1-smoking-area-refresh-2026/) with new seating and privacy walls. The Garden Terrace in Terminal 1 is still the airside smoking area. For full details on where to smoke at Dublin Airport, see our complete [Dublin Airport smoking guide](https://www.airportsmokingzones.com/ireland/dub-dublin-dublin-airport-smoking-zones/). *Sources: [Irish Examiner](https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/companies/arid-41767976.html); [Dublin Airport FAQs](https://www.dublinairport.com/at-the-airport/advice-helpful-services/frequently-asked-questions)*