Yes, you can smoke at Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP) — there are designated smoking areas airside, past security, near the departure gates, so you can smoke during a layover without leaving the secure zone. Marked outdoor areas outside the terminal cover landside smoking too.
Henri Coandă (Otopeni) is Romania’s largest airport and the hub of national carrier TAROM, handling around 17 million passengers a year. It runs a single terminal whose airside concourse splits into domestic and international passenger flows, and the smoking facilities sit airside among the departure gates.
After Security — Departure Gates
The main places to smoke at OTP are the designated smoking areas in the airside departures concourse. Travellers report smoking spots by several gate clusters in the international area — near Gates 4-6, Gates 7-11 and Gates 24-29 — typically small enclosed areas set alongside the bars and cafés that line the concourse. Once you are through passport control and security, these let you smoke without exiting the sterile area.
Because the terminal has seen renovation work, individual smoking spots may open, close or move between gate clusters. Give yourself a few minutes to locate the nearest one, and if you cannot find it, ask airport information or the staff at the café it adjoins.
International vs Domestic Concourse
The airside concourse handles both domestic and international departures. The designated smoking areas are concentrated in the international departures section, near the mid- and higher-numbered gates. Domestic passengers travelling within Romania have a shorter walk to the gates and fewer facilities, so if you are flying domestically and want to smoke, do so before you reach the domestic pier.
Landside — Outside the Terminal
Landside, smoking is at the marked outdoor areas outside the terminal entrances. This is the option for arriving passengers who have collected their bags, and for anyone who prefers to smoke before clearing security. Step outside the building, find a designated spot, and light up there rather than by the doors.
Vaping
Romania’s indoor smoking ban treats e-cigarettes like tobacco, so vaping is not permitted in the open terminal or at the gate. Use the same designated smoking areas — airside near the gates, or outdoors landside — for both cigarettes and vapes.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal (general) | No | Check-in halls and gate areas are smoke-free |
| After security / airside | Yes | Designated smoking areas by the international departure gates |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Marked areas outside the terminal entrances |
For Romania’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Romania airport guide.