Yes, you can smoke at Belfast International Airport (BFS) in the designated smoking areas outside the main terminal building, on the landside forecourt. The airport’s own guidance is that designated smoking areas are available outside the main terminal building before you enter and when you exit — that covers departing passengers heading to check-in and arriving passengers coming out to the forecourt. Everything beyond the security checkpoint is smoke-free, so plan your last cigarette landside.
The Designated Smoking Areas
The smoking areas sit at the front of the terminal building, on the forecourt outside the main doors. Step out, move clear of the entrance and use the marked spot — signage points the way, and the airport asks all passengers to use only the designated areas.
Arrivals are covered by the same provision: the airport’s guidance explicitly extends to smoking “when you exit,” and Phase One of the £100-million redevelopment that opened in May 2025 included a new external forecourt area on the arrivals side, so the walk from the baggage hall to fresh air is short.
Two places are firmly off-limits even outdoors: the airport rules prohibit smoking anywhere inside the terminal building, and equally on the apron when approaching or leaving an aircraft.
After Security
Smoking at BFS is a landside activity. The airport’s FAQ puts it plainly: there are no smoking areas available after you go through security.
That was not always the case. Belfast International ran an airside smoking gallery — an open-air area off the departure lounge, £1 to enter — and it was the last airport in Northern Ireland with a smoking area inside the terminal. The airport closed it on 22 January 2025, citing persistent vandalism and saying it had been left with “no option,” and added that smoking would only be permitted in the designated areas in front of the terminal building. A spokesperson said the situation would be kept “under review as we progress with our building works.” Petitions to reinstate it have circulated since, and the airport has announced no reopening.
From the departure lounge, a smoke break now means exiting the secure area, walking out to the forecourt and re-clearing security — realistic on a long wait, tight at the summer morning rush. If your onward journey routes through a UK airport with post-security provision, the smoking areas after security at Manchester Airport are the nearest comparable option. Our guide to smoking during layovers covers the timing maths in more detail.
Terminal Layout
BFS operates a single terminal at Aldergrove in County Antrim, about 18 miles northwest of Belfast city centre, and handled roughly 6.6 million passengers in 2025 — Northern Ireland’s busiest airport by a wide margin. It is run by Vinci Airports. easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair and TUI are the airlines listed on the airport’s own site, giving a network built around UK domestic routes, European city breaks and Mediterranean leisure flying.
The £100-million redevelopment programme is reshaping the building in phases: Phase One, opened in May 2025, delivered a terminal extension with a new security hall using next-generation screening equipment, an expanded duty-free area and the new arrivals forecourt. Later phases cover additional departure gates, seating, a modernised facade and new retail. No airside smoking facility has been announced as part of those plans, so the front-of-terminal areas remain the option.
Across the city, Belfast City Airport (BHD) follows the same landside-only pattern, so switching airports does not change the answer.
Vaping and E-Cigarettes
Vape at the same designated areas outside the main terminal building. Belfast International’s rules name electronic cigarettes directly — the ban on smoking inside the terminal covers them explicitly, which means no vaping at the gate, in the toilets or anywhere in the departure lounge. Heated-tobacco devices such as IQOS and glo are treated the same way. Since June 2025 disposable vapes can no longer be sold anywhere in the UK, so bring a refillable device from home rather than expecting to buy one airside.
Summary
| Area | Smoking Allowed | Location Details |
|---|---|---|
| Front of the terminal building | Yes | Designated landside areas, before you enter and as you exit |
| Inside the terminal | No | Smoke-free throughout, electronic cigarettes included |
| After security / departure lounge | No | Airside smoking gallery closed 22 January 2025 |
| Apron and boarding | No | Prohibited when approaching or leaving an aircraft |
| Vaping | Outdoor areas only | Same rules as cigarettes, including heated tobacco |
For United Kingdom airport smoking rules, vaping rules, and other general info, see our United Kingdom smoking guide.