Detailed chronology of airlines and smoking 1969–1990
| ASH, Action on Smoking and Health; CAB, Civil Aeronautics Board; DOT, Department of Transportation; FAA, Federal Aviation Authority; NAS, National Academy of Sciences; NIOSH, National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety. | |
| 1969 | |
| December | Ralph Nader petitions FAA and CAB to ban smoking on airlines.11 |
| John Banzhaf and ASH file a petition with FAA seeking separate smoking and non-smoking sections.12 | |
| 1971 | |
| December | A joint FAA and NIOSH report concludes that inhalation of byproducts from tobacco smoke aboard commercial aircraft does not represent a significant health hazard to non-smoking passengers.13 |
| 1972 | |
| January | Surgeon General’s report concludes, “It is high time to ban smoking from all confined public places such as restaurants, theatres, airplanes, trains, and buses.”14 |
| September | CAB issues notice of proposed rulemaking to segregate smoking on passenger aircraft.15 |
| 1973 | |
| May | CAB requires domestic airlines to provide designated “no smoking” areas aboard aircraft for reasons of consumer comfort and protection effective 1 July 1973.16 |
| July | FAA withdraws its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning segregation of smokers on commercial aircraft.17 |
| 1976 | |
| October | Responding to an ASH petition to ban cigar and pipe smoking, CAB initiates a rulemaking proceeding on a wide range of smoking issues.18 |
| 1978 | |
| October | Airline Deregulation Act (Public Law 95–504) is adopted. It also requires sunset of CAB 1 January 1985.19 |
| 1979 | |
| January | CAB modifies the 1973 rules, requiring airlines to specially segregate cigar and pipe smokers; ban smoking when the ventilation system is not fully functioning; ensure that non-smokers are not unreasonably burdened when a no-smoking section is sandwiched between two smoking sections; provide a sufficient number of seats in the non-smoking areas to be made available to accommodate all persons who wish to be seated in such rows; expand the non-smoking areas to meet passenger demand; and that carriers must take measures to enforce these rules.20 Docket 29044 is kept open for further comments. |
| May | CAB invites comments on the following proposals: ban smoking on flights of 1 hour or less; ban smoking on small aircraft, ban cigar and pipe smoking; provide special seating arrangements for passengers unusually susceptible to tobacco smoke; require partitions or buffer zones between smoking and non-smoking sections; and permit a waiver procedure for airlines that wish to experiment with ways of segregating smokers and non-smokers.21 |
| 1981 | |
| February | In a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to its 16 May 1979 notice, CAB requests commentary on two more options: a ban on all in-flight smoking or an elimination of the regulation of smoking on passenger aircraft. CAB also invites commentary on the transfer of its rulemaking authority in this area.22 |
| May | CAB holds a public hearing on the smoking rule.23 |
| September | CAB concludes the rulemaking begun in 1976 by dropping the 1979 modifications to the smoking rule. It revises the rule by requiring airlines to guarantee a seat in the no smoking section to every non-smoker who meets the airline’s designated check-in deadline.23 |
| October | After CAB denies its request for a postponement of the effective date of the newly modified rule, ASH files a motion for a stay in a DC US Court of Appeals.24 |
| 1982 | |
| May | Senate Subcommittee on Aviation holds a hearing to discuss airliner cabin safety and health standards and S. 1770. The bill does not make it out of committee.25 |
| 1983 | |
| January | Court of Appeals affirms CAB’s authority to regulate smoking on aircraft.24 |
| May | CAB reinstates two of the three provisions as ordered by the Court of Appeals: provide special segregation of cigar and pipe smokers and require carriers to prohibit smoking when ventilation systems are not fully functioning. |
| September | CAB issues supplemental proposals to ban smoking on short flights (1 or 2 hours) and to require additional special protections for those sensitive to smoke.26 |
| November | Senate Subcommittee on Aviation holds its second hearing to discuss airliner cabin safety and health standards and S. 197.27 |
| 1984 | |
| February | CAB holds hearings on proposed rulemaking.28 |
| June | CAB adopts rules to ban smoking on small aircraft and to ban cigar and pipe smoking on all flights.28 |
| October | Public Law 98–466 is enacted (S. 197), requiring the FAA to contract with NAS for a literature review of studies on the airliner cabin environment.29 |
| Public Law 98–443 amends the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to terminate and transfer certain functions of CAB as of 1 January 1985. The statutory authority enabling CAB to promulgate rules governing smoking aboard airlines is transferred to DOT.30 | |
| 1986 | |
| August | NAS issues its report The Airliner Cabin Environment Air Quality and Safety and calls for a total smoking ban on all domestic commercial flights.31 |
| 1987 | |
| July | House of Representatives passes (198–193) an amendment to the DOT appropriations bill banning smoking on flights of 2 hours or less. The amendment had been rejected in subcommittee and in the full Appropriations Committee, but the Rules Committee permitted the sponsor to offer it on the House floor.32 |
| October | House Aviation Subcommittee hears testimony on smoking aboard airliners.33 |
| December | The conference committee agrees to a compromise provision banning smoking on flights of 2 hours or less for 2 years and a $2000 fine for tampering with smoke detectors in airliner lavatories.34 |
| 1988 | |
| April | Smoking ban goes into effect.34 Between 80–85% of all domestic flights were covered by the ban. |
| Northwest Airlines voluntarily bans smoking on all its North American flights.35 | |
| 1989 | |
| June | House Aviation Subcommittee hears testimony on smoking aboard airliners.36 |
| August | House passes an amendment to the transportation appropriations bill that would make the current ban of smoking on commercial flights of 2 hours or less permanent.37 |
| September | Senate adopts by voice vote the Lautenberg amendment to the transportation appropriations bill banning smoking on all domestic flights.38 |
| October | House-Senate Conferees on DOT appropriations bill agree to ban smoking on all passenger flights within the continental US and all flights to Alaska and Hawaii lasting less than 6 hours.39 |
| November | Senate passes the DOT appropriations bill with the provision to expand and extend the current airline smoking ban.40 |
| December | DOT submits its study of cabin air quality to Congress. Report states “consideration should be given to a total ban on smoking on all flights…as a means of eliminating the ETS risks currently faced by non-smoking passengers and non-smoking cabin crew members.”41 |
| 1990 | |
| February | Smoking ban on most scheduled US domestic flights goes into effect.11 |