Yes, you can smoke at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) — outside the terminal building, landside, before you check in or clear security. The airport does not currently publish a confirmed indoor or airside smoking area.
Princess Juliana International Airport, on the Dutch side of the island in Simpson Bay, is Sint Maarten’s only airport.
Where to Smoke: Landside, Outside the Terminal
Smoking at SXM is confined to the outdoor areas around the terminal building, landside, before you clear security. Travellers report being able to smoke freely outside the terminal; the airport does not publish a marked or signed smoking spot, so treat the outdoor area generally as available rather than looking for a specific booth.
The Airside Smoking Room: Reported Closed
SXM once had an indoor smoking room airside, between gates C3 and C4 — a traveller reported using it in November 2023, describing it as standing-room only with a hand-washing station and signage directing passengers to it. That has since changed: an April 2025 update from a traveller noted the room had been out of order for roughly a year, and posts in a Sint Maarten travellers’ Facebook group in July 2025 confirmed it was still not open, with one commenter saying it was closed at the end of May 2025 and another reporting it shut two weeks before their visit that summer. Given these consistent, recent reports, travellers with a layover at SXM should not count on an airside smoking option — smoke landside before you go through security instead.
Vaping
The airport does not publish a separate e-cigarette policy, and Sint Maarten has no comprehensive law banning indoor vaping. With no confirmed indoor or airside smoking area at the airport, the practical approach is the same as for cigarettes: use the outdoor landside areas.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No confirmed area | No published rule; no working indoor facility reported |
| After security / airside | No confirmed area | Former smoking room between gates C3/C4 reported closed since 2024 |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Around the terminal building, before check-in or security |
| Vaping | Yes, outdoors | No confirmed indoor option; use the outdoor landside areas |
For Sint Maarten’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Sint Maarten airport guide.