US DoT bans use of e-cigarettes on airline flights

The US DoT has explicitly banned the use of electronic cigarettes on all airline flights. DoT’s final rule on e-cigarettes, which essentially extends the ban already in place for smoking tobacco aboard flights, applies to all US airline flights and all foreign carrier flights to/from the US. It also includes non-scheduled charter flights operated by US airlines or foreign airlines to/from the US on which a flight attendant is a required crewmember. US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said the ban protects passengers and flight crews “from unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes that occur when electronic cigarettes are used on-board airplanes.” He added that it was important to “eliminate any confusion between tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes by applying the same restrictions to both.” <br/>