Dulles airport IAD, New Smoking Policy (June 2023)

Question

Starting from June 1st, all smoking lounges are permanently closed!.

It is sad for all smokers, hopefully they bring back these smoking lounges .

Any idea why they changes the smoking policy ?

Answer

The closure of all smoking lounges at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) as of June 1, 2023, was part of a broader and long-term shift in U.S. airport policies. Over the past decade, nearly every major airport in the country has eliminated indoor smoking areas. Dulles was one of the last to keep them, but eventually aligned with national public health and operational standards.

There were several reasons behind the decision, and it was not made suddenly. The airport authority had been discussing the change for years, and the final closure was the result of a combination of health regulations, maintenance challenges, and industry pressure.

Here are the primary factors that contributed to the policy change:

Public health regulations and clean-air standards: Medical and public health organizations have strongly recommended the removal of indoor smoking rooms due to secondhand smoke. Even filtered lounges leak smoke into adjacent areas over time, which affects travelers and staff.
High maintenance and ventilation costs: Smoking lounges require expensive specialized ventilation systems that must run 24/7. Maintaining those systems—especially in older airport terminals—is costly and often not energy efficient.
Consistency with other U.S. airports: Major airports such as LAX, JFK, ORD, SFO, ATL, BOS, SEA, MCO, and others removed their smoking rooms years earlier. Dulles and Reagan National were among the last in the country that still had indoor lounges, so the change brought them in line with national norms.
Employee health and labor considerations: Airport staff—cleaning crews, maintenance workers, and nearby gate agents—had long complained about being exposed to residual smoke from the lounges. Worker health regulations increasingly discouraged indoor smoking spaces.
Shift toward creating more space for dining and retail: Terminals have limited room, and smoking lounges occupy valuable interior space that airports prefer to use for revenue-generating shops, seating, or food areas.

While many travelers—especially those accustomed to international airports with dedicated smoking rooms—are disappointed by the change, U.S. airports have overwhelmingly moved to outdoor-only smoking. It is very unlikely that Dulles will bring the lounges back.

For smokers traveling through IAD now, the only option is to exit the secure area, smoke in designated outdoor areas, and then re-clear security. This is inconvenient, especially during short layovers, but it reflects current U.S. airport standards.

In short: the policy change happened due to health laws, cost concerns, national consistency, and airport modernization priorities—rather than any temporary or experimental reason. It is considered permanent.