This Is Why We Can’t Smoke on Flights Anymore
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The Role of Ashtrays in the Toilets on Airplanes
In 1976, the US Civil Aeronautics Board banned cigar and pipe smoking on aircraft. But under pressure from tobacco interests, it sought to limit this ban in 1978. In 2009, there was a British Airways flight from London to Mexico City that was reportedly delayed because the Boeing 747 was in need of an appropriate replacement for an ashtray that was out of service. So minimum equipment means the plane cannot take off unless it's there.
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