You have just passed through security at Nantes Atlantique, your flight is in two hours, and the urge to smoke is creeping in. The answer is straightforward: there is no smoking area after security at Nantes Atlantique. No indoor cabin, no outdoor terrace, no designated space in the boarding area. Let’s take stock of what this means for travelers and the alternatives available before security.
Why there is no smoking area in the boarding zone at Nantes
This situation is not an oversight by the airport. It stems from French regulations that have prohibited smoking in covered public places since 2007. Boarding areas, corridors, waiting rooms, and gates all fall into this category.
Some French or European airports circumvent this restriction by installing outdoor terraces accessible from the secure area or air extraction cabins. Nantes Atlantique has opted for neither of these solutions. The specialized site AirportSmokers, which maps smoking locations in airports worldwide, confirms the complete absence of a dedicated smoking area on the tarmac at Nantes.
Additional information can be found on the smoking area at Nantes airport after security to check for any updates to this policy.
Nantes Grand Angle Project: an extension without a planned smoking area
The ongoing redevelopment of the terminal, called Nantes Grand Angle, could raise hopes for a change. The work aims to modernize the terminal, improve passenger flow, and develop services available in the boarding area.
The project does not include the creation of a smoking area after security checks. Neither in the published plans nor in the official communications from the airport does this option appear. The trend is rather in the opposite direction: French airports are gradually reducing existing smoking areas rather than creating new ones.
By comparison, Nice airport offers smoking terraces accessible from the secure area. Nantes has made a different choice, and the available feedback does not suggest any reversal in the short term.
Smoking before security checks at Nantes Atlantique: concrete locations
The only option for smokers is to organize themselves before passing through security. Several designated outdoor areas exist on the public side, near the terminal. Here’s what to note:
- Marked smoking areas can be found at the entrances of the main building, outside. They are identified by ground signage and standing ashtrays
- These areas are accessible without time restrictions, as long as the terminal is open to travelers
- No covered shelter is provided in these locations, which can be problematic in bad weather (and in Nantes, we know the weather)
- Vaping is subject to the same restrictions as traditional cigarettes in the airport’s indoor spaces
In practice, this means that you need to allow sufficient time. Smoking one last cigarette, extinguishing it, entering the terminal, queuing for security, and then reaching the boarding gate can easily take about thirty minutes during peak times.
Managing the wait in the boarding area without smoking
For regular smokers, a layover or delayed flight in the secure area can become a real issue. It is impossible to go back out to smoke once security checks are completed: passing through security is not reversible without going back through the line.
Here are some tips for those anticipating a long wait:
- Nicotine substitutes (lozenges, patches, gums) are allowed in the boarding area and on board. They can be purchased at a pharmacy before heading to the airport
- Nicotine pouches (tobacco-free sachets) pass through security without issue and can be consumed discreetly
- The restaurants and dining areas in the boarding terminal provide entertainment, but none have an adjacent smoking area
For flights with connections, it’s best to check the policy of the arrival airport. A passenger in transit at an airport equipped with an airside smoking area can go there, but this will not be the case at Nantes upon departure.
Electronic cigarettes and puffs: the same rules apply
We are often asked: can you vape in the boarding area at Nantes? The answer is no. Vaping is prohibited in all enclosed and covered collective use spaces, including airports. The law does not distinguish between traditional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes in this regard.
Puffs (disposable electronic cigarettes) can be carried in the cabin in hand luggage, but their use remains prohibited inside the terminal as well as on board the plane. Storing them in checked baggage is discouraged due to the lithium batteries they contain.
Travelers who planned to discreetly vape in the boarding area risk a fine. Nantes airport applies the same policy as all French airports on this matter.
The conclusion is clear for passengers transiting through Nantes Atlantique: any consumption of tobacco or inhaled nicotine must take place before security checks, in the designated outdoor areas. Allowing time, bringing a nicotine substitute for waiting in the boarding area, and checking the conditions of the destination airport remain the three most useful reflexes for a flight without unpleasant surprises.