People have been scratching their heads wondering why planes have ashtrays despite a smoking ban.
If you’ve ever jetted off, you’ll know lighting up a cigarette mid-flight is a big no-no. But then, why are there still ashtrays on board?
It’s enough to make you wonder, doesn’t it? Well according to Phil Stringer, who posts online as @phil.stringer, it seemed to baffle him following a recent flight.
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He headed over to social media, posting a clip of the sneaky little metal flap tucked away in the plane’s loo, reports the Mirror.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The video, which secured over 1,100 views, came with the cheeky caption: “No smoking on the plane… but we’ll give you an ashtray just in case you do.”
The TikTok crowd dived into the comments, tossing around theories about these mysterious ashtrays. And some thought it could be to do with the plane’s age.
One user chimed in: “That’s how old that plane is.” Another added: “It costs money to take them out and think about all the planes they have,” while a third wrote: “Kinda true.”
But the ‘joke’ in Phil’s video actually hit the nail on the head. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, aeroplanes are required by law to have ashtrays on or near the loo door. This is because some sneaky passengers still try to smoke onboard.
The FAA’s website said: “The installation of an ashtray on or near the lavatory door will ensure that uninformed persons who find themselves with lighted smoking materials on the airplane will have an obvious location to dispose of smoking materials before entering the lavatory.”