Yes, you can smoke at Birmingham Airport (BHX) in the designated smoking areas outside the front of the terminal, before security. The airport’s own facilities page rules out smoking and vaping anywhere inside the terminal, so there is nothing after security; the former airside smoking area closed in May 2019 and was not replaced.
Birmingham’s long-haul flights mostly connect through the Gulf — check Dubai Airport’s after-security smoking areas or Doha Hamad Airport’s smoking rooms.
Single Combined Terminal
A note on Birmingham’s terminal layout: although the airport historically had separate Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 buildings, these have been merged operationally into a single combined terminal. There is no longer a meaningful T1/T2 distinction for passengers. All check-in, security, and gate access flow through one integrated facility.
The Designated Smoking Areas
Birmingham Airport’s facilities page names designated smoking areas outside the front of the terminal:
- Location: outside the front of the terminal.
- Access: landside only, before security.
These are the only places on airport property where smoking is permitted.
Airside Smoking History (Closed May 2019)
Birmingham previously had an airside smoking area at The Meriden Bar (later renamed The Factory), open from May 2012. The airport closed it in May 2019 and has not replaced it.
The airport’s facilities page is explicit: there is no smoking area within the terminal building, and customers cannot smoke or vape anywhere inside it, before or after security.
Layovers and Transit
Birmingham handles a balanced mix of UK domestic, short-haul European (easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2), and long-haul (Air India to Delhi/Amritsar, Emirates to Dubai, Qatar Airways to Doha, TUI charter) traffic. With no airside smoking, transit smoke breaks require:
- Under 90 minutes: not feasible — the exit-and-re-clear cycle exceeds the layover.
- 90 minutes to 3 hours: allow 45-60 minutes for the round trip from gate to the outdoor areas and back through security.
- 3+ hours: enough for the round trip, or for a trip into Birmingham city centre — the AirRail Link to Birmingham International station takes 90 seconds, and the train on to Birmingham New Street takes 10 minutes.
AirRail Link and Rail Connection
The AirRail Link is a free, fully automated cable-driven people mover (opened 2003) that connects the terminal to Birmingham International rail station in 90 seconds, running every 2 minutes around the clock.
Smoking is prohibited throughout the AirRail Link (an enclosed public-transport vehicle). Smoke at the airport’s outdoor areas before boarding. From Birmingham International station:
- London Euston — 75 minutes (West Coast Main Line, every 20 minutes during the day)
- Birmingham New Street — 10 minutes (multiple operators)
- Manchester Piccadilly — 90 minutes (Avanti West Coast)
Vaping
Birmingham Airport’s facilities page rules out vaping anywhere inside the terminal, so vapes are used at the same designated outdoor areas as cigarettes. Heat-not-burn devices (IQOS, glo) follow the same rule.
Bringing vapes through BHX is legal under UK law with no possession restrictions.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Outside the front of the terminal, landside | Yes | Designated areas named on the airport’s facilities page; before security |
| Inside the terminal, before or after security | No | The airport’s facilities page: no smoking or vaping anywhere within the terminal |
| Airside | No | The former airside area closed in May 2019 and was not replaced |
| AirRail Link | No | Enclosed people mover; smoke at the terminal’s outdoor areas before boarding |
For United Kingdom airport smoking rules, vaping rules, and other general info, see our United Kingdom smoking guide.