Yes, you can smoke at Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) in the two designated smoking areas located across the street from the terminal. Everything else on the campus — the terminal building, the gates past the TSA checkpoint, the sidewalks and the parking lots — is smoke-free. Fairbanks winters are brutally cold — overnight lows from December through February routinely sit below −20 °F — so dress for it before stepping out for a cigarette.
How Fairbanks Airport Is Laid Out
FAI is a single, compact passenger terminal that opened in its current form in 2009. It has eight gates — six served by jet bridges for the larger carriers and two for commuter and regional operators — all reached from one ground-level departures hall and a single security checkpoint, so there is no separate concourse to get lost in. Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines fly the mainline routes to the Lower 48, while regional carriers such as Everts Air and Wright Air Service handle bush and intrastate flights. International service is limited and seasonal (charter flights to Canada, plus past seasonal European charters), with customs processing handled in the same building. Because everything sits under one roof, the walk from the entrance to the farthest gate is short.
Designated Smoking Areas
There are two designated smoking areas on the FAI campus. Both sit across the street from the terminal building, opposite the gate concourse — step out of the main doors, cross to the marked spots, and you can light up there. Look for the signage and ashtrays.
These are the only places on the property where smoking is allowed. Smoking and vaping are prohibited everywhere else, including all enclosed spaces, the sidewalks fronting the terminal, rest areas, taxi and shuttle stands, and both the public and employee parking lots. FAI is a smoke-free campus, and lighting up outside the two marked areas is enforced with fines, so stick to the areas across from the terminal.
After Security
All smoking at FAI is landside, at the two designated areas across the street from the terminal; the gate areas past the TSA checkpoint are smoke-free, with no airside or transit smoking lounge. If you have already cleared security, you will need to exit, walk to a designated area, and then re-clear TSA before your flight. Allow extra time, especially in winter, so a cigarette break does not put your boarding at risk.
E-Cigarettes and Vaping
Vaping and e-cigarettes are treated the same as traditional cigarettes at FAI. They are allowed only in the two designated areas across from the terminal and are prohibited everywhere else on the campus, indoors and out, under the same enforced rule. There is no exemption for vaping inside the terminal or at the gates.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inside terminal | No | Entire terminal is smoke-free; no airside lounge |
| Gates / after security | No | Exit, smoke, then re-clear TSA |
| Two designated areas across the street | Yes | Only legal smoking/vaping spots on campus |
| Sidewalks, curbs, parking lots | No | Smoke-free campus, enforced with fines |
| Vaping / e-cigarettes | Outdoor only | Same rules as cigarettes |
For USA airport smoking rules, state vape rules, lighter rules at TSA, and other federal/state info, see our USA smoking guide.