Smoking In Aircraft

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31676, 11 May 1968, Page 12

Smoking In Aircraft

Sir,—l join with your correspondent, J. M. Young, m his remarks on the above subject. I feel that the reply made by Mr Feslier, public relations manager for N.A.C., does not answer the question and I should be grateful if Mr Feslier would give his authority for the statement that many people find pipesmoking to be unpleasant in confined spaces. Are we to assume from tbit statement that many people find cigarette smoking pleasant in confined spaces? I have always found —and my wife agrees with me on this point—that cigarette smoke clings to one’s clothes whereas smoke from a pipe does not, and it would be interesting to know whether passengers on N.A.C. aircraft have ever been asked whether smoke from pipes would annoy them any more than smoke from cigarettes.— Yours, etc., _ R. H. STEPHENSON.

Oamaru, May 3, 1968. [The publie relations manager for the National Airways Corporation (Mr A. G. Feslier) replies: “Regulations forbid the smoking of pipes and cigars in aircraft because they involve a higher risk of Are than cigarettes because of their greater mass of burning tobacco. As a matter of interest, this regulation applies to most airlines throughout the world. A survey conducted by N.A.C. some time ago showed that the majority of passengers are in favour of smoking on board and the continuing passenger questionnaire which calls for comment on any matter of passenger Interest shows no change In this trend. We believe that, as a matter of courtesy, a passenger should ■ inquire from his jinmediate neighbour if smoking would be offensive.”]