Yes, smoking is permitted at Bristol Airport before and after security: an outdoor airside smoking area sits near Gate 22 in the Gates 21-33 area, and a landside area is signposted near the main terminal entrance. Other UK airports with an area after security include Manchester Airport’s outdoor area after security and Newcastle’s area behind Bar 11; Bristol is one of the nine UK airports in our after-security smoking-area inventory.
Bristol is Southwest England’s largest airport and a major easyJet base, handling around 10 million passengers annually. The terminal is a single, expanding building with major growth plans through 2030.
Airside Smoking Areas
Bristol Airport confirmed in December 2025 that its airside smoking area is “now situated near gate 22 just off the departure lounge” — after security, within the Gates 21-33 area.
- Near Gate 22, Gates 21-33 area (current airside smoking area) — an outdoor area just off the departure lounge, signposted from the gate concourse. This replaced an older spot near Gate 4 (by Starbucks), which has since been superseded.
Exact locations can shift over time, so always check the latest signage on arrival.
Landside Smoking Area
The landside outdoor smoking area is at the main terminal entrance, signposted near Costa Coffee and the Out-of-Size Baggage area. The Bristol Flyer A1 bus uses stands 4 and 5 at the Public Transport Interchange directly outside the terminal, so the smoking area is a short walk from the bus stops.
Layovers and Transit
Bristol handles primarily point-to-point traffic — UK domestic, European short-haul (easyJet, Ryanair, TUI, Jet2), but with growing long-haul ambitions following the November 2024 expansion proposal (terminal scaling from 50,000 m² to 130,000 m², 150-meter runway extension, target 15 million passengers, planned long-haul to Middle East / US East Coast).
For smoker connections:
- Through any gate: the airside area near Gate 22 lets you smoke without re-clearing security.
- Long layovers (3+ hours): combine an airside smoke break with a return to the landside area if you prefer fresh air outside the secure area.
If your journey continues through the Gulf, you will find indoor facilities such as the after-security smoking areas at Dubai International Airport.
Vaping
UK law treats vaping leniently. Bristol Airport allows vaping in the same outdoor areas as cigarettes (both airside and landside). Heat-not-burn devices follow the same rule. Indoor vaping is prohibited everywhere in the terminal.
Bringing vapes through Bristol is legal under UK law with no possession restrictions.
Bristol Flyer Bus
The Bristol Flyer A1 is a 24-hour bus running every 8 minutes during peak from stands 4 and 5 directly outside the terminal to Bristol Temple Meads station and the city centre, in approximately 30-40 minutes. The bus stands are immediately adjacent to the landside smoking area — smoke before boarding.
From Temple Meads, frequent rail connections run to London Paddington (90 minutes), Cardiff, Bath, and the wider Southwest.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| After security, near Gate 22 | Yes | Outdoor area off the departure lounge in the Gates 21-33 area; signposted from the gate concourse |
| Landside, main terminal entrance | Yes | Signposted outdoor area near Costa Coffee and the Out-of-Size Baggage area |
| Inside the terminal | No | Smoke-free, vaping included |
For United Kingdom airport smoking rules, vaping rules, and other general info, see our United Kingdom smoking guide.