Yes, you can smoke at Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) after security, at the sheltered outdoor smoking area adjacent to gate 12 on the lower level of the departure lounge. The airport’s own help centre lists it as the terminal’s smoking area, and the official terminal map marks it as a “Smoking and Vaping Area” — so e-cigarettes are covered by the same spot. Everything inside the terminal building is smoke-free.
The Designated Smoking Area
Liverpool opened the area after passenger requests and has kept it ever since, which puts LPL in the small group of UK airports where a cigarette does not mean leaving the secure side of the terminal.
- Location: adjacent to gate 12, on the lower level of the departure lounge, past the Kissing Gate Bar & Restaurant. It is clearly signposted from inside the lounge.
- Shelter: the airport describes secure entry and exit, protection from inclement weather, wall-mounted ashtrays and a wall-mounted heater.
- Seating: none — it is a stand-up area.
- Step-free access: passengers with restricted mobility can reach the area from the adjacent gate rather than the stairs.
Because the area is past the checkpoint, you can smoke during a layover or a delay without re-screening: take your boarding pass and hand luggage down to the lower level, use the area, and walk back to your gate. The official map advises allowing 10-15 minutes to reach any gate, which is a good yardstick for timing the round trip too.
Before Security and Landside
Liverpool’s published smoking provision is the airside area, so the simplest plan here is to check in, clear the search area and use the gate 12 area rather than looking for a spot on the forecourt. Under the airport’s 2022 byelaws, smoking — e-cigarettes and vape devices included — is permitted only in the places the airport designates, so anywhere landside, follow the signage and stay well clear of the terminal doors.
If your flight is very early and you would rather smoke before joining the queue, allow the extra few minutes: LPL’s security hall moves quickly outside peak summer holiday mornings, and the area past it is the one the airport actually maintains for smokers.
Terminal Layout
Liverpool operates a single terminal at Speke, about seven miles southeast of the city centre on the north bank of the Mersey. Departures run across two levels, with gates 1-10 and gates 11-17 reached from the lounge, and the smoking area tucked in beside gate 12 on the lower level.
2025 was the busiest year in the airport’s history, with 5.6 million passengers, up 11 per cent on 2024. easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 are the three carriers that drive that traffic, flying a mainly point-to-point network across Europe, Ireland and the Canaries. Manchester is only about 35 miles east and Manchester Airport also has airside smoking areas, so smokers flying from the northwest have a choice either way.
Vaping and E-Cigarettes
Vape in the same place as you smoke: the area next to gate 12, which Liverpool’s own terminal map labels a “Smoking and Vaping Area”. The airport asks that e-cigarettes be used there rather than inside the terminal building, and heated-tobacco devices such as IQOS and glo are treated identically. Since June 2025 disposable vapes can no longer be sold anywhere in the UK, so bring a refillable device with you rather than counting on buying one at the airport.
Summary
| Area | Smoking Allowed | Location Details |
|---|---|---|
| Airside smoking area (gate 12) | Yes | Lower level of the departure lounge, past the Kissing Gate |
| Departure lounge interior | No | Smoke-free, e-cigarettes included |
| Check-in hall and landside terminal | No | Smoke-free; use the airside area past security |
| Boarding gates and aircraft | No | Non-smoking |
| Vaping | Airside area only | Mapped as a “Smoking and Vaping Area”; IQOS and glo included |
For United Kingdom airport smoking rules, vaping rules, and other general info, see our United Kingdom smoking guide.