Did you know that federal regulations prohibited planes from taking off if the “No Smoking” sign could not be turned off? It’s true! Or at least it was true. After way, way too long, the Federal Aviation Administration updated its regulations to allow planes to take off regardless of whatever that sign says.
The rule has been around for decades, but it hasn’t really been relevant for the 20 years since smoking was banned on all US airlines. No one thought about it for a while—until late 2023, when a United Airlines flight on a brand-new Airbus A321neo was grounded. It wasn’t because of some major mechanical issue with an engine or because a wing fell off or because the pilot exploded. The flight was grounded because the “No Smoking” signs wouldn’t turn off—which is even funnier because they can’t be turned off.
Always-on “No Smoking” signs are a standard feature of the Airbus A321neo, as they are on many modern planes. As long as the old regulation was in the books, the plane had to stay on the ground.
Now, United Airlines could have requested an exception to the rule, which they previously did for all the Boeing planes in their fleet. For whatever reason, they didn’t. Must have slipped her mind. They’re a big company. Lots of moving parts and such.
The FAA has now issued a rule removing the requirement for signs to be switchable from on to off and vice versa. Smoking is already banned on all flights, so there is no need for the signs to ever be off. It’ll be interesting to see if at some point they change “smoking” to “vaping,” though, with the little picture of a smoldering cigarette replaced with a modded-out vape rig blowing chunky clouds.
The post Absurd “No Smoking” Signs Rule Got Axed After Grounding a Flight appeared first on VICE.
The post Absurd “No Smoking” Signs Rule Got Axed After Grounding a Flight appeared first on VICE.
