Yes, you can smoke at Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) — outdoors on the curb outside the terminal, and unusually for a regional airport, on an airside outdoor terrace if you have Premium Lounge access. The terminal building itself is smoke-free.
How Melbourne Airport Is Laid Out
MLB has a single passenger terminal. A terminal renovation and expansion completed around 2022–2023 added about 86,000 square feet, new gates, a four-lane security checkpoint and an international arrivals area, bringing the building to roughly nine gates so it could receive international flights. Domestic service is led by Allegiant, with Delta to Atlanta, American Eagle to Charlotte and seasonal Sun Country to Minneapolis; the international service is TUI Airways, flying seasonally from UK airports including London Gatwick, Glasgow, Belfast and Newcastle. Aer Lingus serves Orlando’s larger MCO airport rather than Melbourne.
Marketed as a low-stress alternative to busy Orlando International, MLB is the rare regional airport with a genuine after-security smoking option, described below.
Outdoor Smoking Before Security
Smoke in the designated outdoor areas on the curb outside the terminal, near the entrances and exits on the departures and arrivals frontage. Keep clear of the doors so smoke does not drift inside. This is the standard option for arriving passengers after baggage claim and for departing passengers before check-in.
Airside Smoking Terrace (Premium Lounge)
MLB is one of the few US airports with an airside smoking option. The MLB Premium Lounge, located past security in the departures area, has an outdoor smoking terrace reached from inside the lounge. Access is via Priority Pass membership, premium TUI tickets, or a paid walk-in pass (around $40 for adults), and it is open to both domestic and international departing passengers, reached through the lounge rather than as a general airside area.
Availability is the thing to check: the lounge runs limited daytime hours and operates seasonally, roughly April through December, tracking the international flying season. Confirm the lounge and its smoking terrace are open before you pay for access.
Without lounge access, smoking at MLB stays landside: leave the secure area, smoke on the curb, then re-clear the TSA checkpoint before your flight.
Outdoor Setback
The terminal interior is smoke-free under the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act. Use the marked outdoor curbside areas and stand clear of the doors.
E-Cigarettes and Vaping
Vaping follows the same rules as smoking at MLB: use the outdoor curbside areas, or the Premium Lounge terrace if you have airside lounge access and it is open. The terrace is the one post-security spot for either smoking or vaping, and e-cigarettes stay outside the terminal like cigarettes.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal building | No | Smoke-free indoors |
| Curbside (landside) | Yes | Outdoor area near entrances, keep clear of doors |
| Premium Lounge terrace (airside) | Yes | Eligible lounge guests only; confirm hours first |
| After security (no lounge) | No | Exit and re-clear TSA to smoke |
For USA airport smoking rules, state vape rules, lighter rules at TSA, and other federal/state info, see our USA smoking guide.