Yes, you can smoke at Exeter Airport (EXT) outside the terminal building, on the landside forecourt in front of the departures entrance. The terminal itself is smoke-free from the doors inwards, so plan your cigarette before you join the security queue — Exeter has had no airside smoking area since 2007.
The Designated Smoking Area
The smoking spot at EXT is the open forecourt in front of the terminal, between the car parks and the departures doors. Travellers report using the seating outside the building, on the right as you walk up to it. Exeter publishes no door number or marked shelter for the area, so pick a spot clear of the entrance and the covered frontage.
The airport’s own passenger information puts the terminal rule plainly: smoking and vaping are “not permitted in any part of the terminal building or on the aircraft”. A second line on the same page goes further and says smoking and vaping are not permitted “in any part of the airport” — keep to the open forecourt, stay away from the doors, and follow the signage in place on the day.
Exeter’s car parks are a few minutes’ walk from the terminal, so a cigarette on the way in from the car is the easiest one of the trip.
After Security
Exeter went smoke-free on 1 April 2007, three months ahead of England’s national ban, and the designated area beside the airside bar closed with it. Nothing has replaced it since: once you are through the Security Search Area, the departure lounge, the boarding gates and the first-floor Executive Lounge are all smoke-free.
From airside, a smoke break means leaving the secure area, walking out to the forecourt and re-clearing security afterwards. The airport asks passengers to allow 15–45 minutes for security queues and checks, especially at busy times — treat that as your planning figure before deciding whether a cigarette is worth the round trip.
Exeter’s KLM service to Amsterdam and Aer Lingus service to Dublin are the two routes that put passengers into a connecting hub. If Dublin is your onward stop, you land somewhere with an after-security smoking terrace in Terminal 1; at Amsterdam, plan for the outdoor smoking area at Jan Dellaertplein, which sits before security.
Terminal Layout
Exeter operates a single terminal at Clyst Honiton, about five miles east of the city in Devon, handling 582,347 passengers in the year to 31 March 2026 — a 32% rise on the year before. It serves 28 destinations across 10 countries.
Ryanair, TUI, KLM, Aer Lingus and Loganair carry the bulk of the traffic: KLM flies daily to Amsterdam, Aer Lingus serves Dublin and Belfast, Loganair runs the year-round Jersey, Newcastle and Edinburgh links, and Ryanair and TUI cover the Mediterranean and Canaries programme.
Landside you have a café, a shop and the check-in desks along one hall. Past security, the departure lounge holds a café bar, a shop, the duty free shop, a children’s activity area and boarding gates 1 to 5, with the Restaurant, Bar, viewing area and Executive Lounge on the first floor. None of these has a smoking facility attached, which is why the forecourt out front is the whole story at Exeter.
Vaping and E-Cigarettes
Vape outside the terminal, in the same forecourt area used for cigarettes. Exeter’s rule is that a vaping device or e-cigarette may be carried through the Security Search Area, with use not permitted in the airport terminal or on the aircraft — so the device travels with you and comes out once you are back in the open air. Heat-not-burn devices such as IQOS and glo follow the same rule.
Since June 2025 disposable vapes can no longer be sold anywhere in the UK, so bring a refillable device from home rather than counting on picking one up at the airport.
Summary
| Area | Smoking Allowed | Location Details |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal forecourt | Yes | Open landside area in front of the departures entrance |
| Inside the terminal | No | Smoke-free throughout, including toilets and check-in hall |
| After security / departure lounge | No | Airside area closed in 2007; smoke before the checkpoint |
| Executive Lounge (first floor) | No | Smoke-free, in line with the rest of the terminal |
| Vaping | Outdoor area only | Devices may be carried through security; use them outside |
For United Kingdom airport smoking rules, vaping rules, and other general info, see our United Kingdom smoking guide.