You have just passed through security checks at Nantes Atlantique and are looking for a place to smoke before boarding. The answer is straightforward: there is no smoking area after security at Nantes airport. No dedicated lounge, no outdoor terrace, no ventilated cabin. Once you have passed the security filter, the entire boarding area is strictly non-smoking, both indoors and outdoors.
Why there is no smoking area in the boarding zone at Nantes
Most regional airports in France operate on a simple principle: the prohibition of smoking in covered public places, in effect since 2007. Nantes Atlantique goes further.
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All outdoor areas accessible after check-in are officially non-smoking, including terraces overlooking the runways. This is not an oversight in planning; it is an explicit policy. The “non-smoking” signage has been reinforced throughout the new public outdoor areas, particularly around the check-in area E.
Here, there is a notable difference from other regional airports that maintain outdoor smoking areas after security. In Nantes, the architectural configuration and flow management choices make this option non-existent. If you have read articles mentioning the smoking area after security at Nantes airport, the conclusion remains the same: there isn’t one.
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Nantes Grand Angle project and increased restrictions for smokers
The “Nantes Grand Angle” transformation project is gradually reconfiguring the outdoor access and passenger flows of the terminal. A direct consequence: the possibility of going outside to smoke and then returning after certain checks is disappearing.
In airports where outdoor access remains possible after security, some smokers took advantage of a terrace or patio to have a cigarette. In Nantes, this option has never been formally offered, and the ongoing reconfiguration definitively locks this issue. The airport insists on the enclosed and non-smoking nature of the post-security area.
What this means for the passenger
Once the boarding pass is scanned at the security filter, you must consider that the next cigarette will be upon arrival. You cannot go back through security to smoke in the public hall and then return. Feedback on this point varies according to online testimonies, but the official rule is clear: the security passage works in one direction only.
Smoking before security at Nantes Atlantique airport
The only realistic solution for smokers is to plan ahead. Before passing through security checks, there are a few options available outside the terminal.
- The immediate surroundings of the terminal, in front of the entrance doors, remain the most accessible point. There are ashtrays placed near the drop-off areas.
- The square between the parking lot and the terminal entrance offers an outdoor space, far enough from the automatic doors not to disturb other passengers.
- The nearby parking lots (notably parking P1) have outdoor areas where smoking is still tolerated, just like in any open, uncovered space.
Allow at least twenty minutes of leeway before the check-in deadline if you plan to smoke outside and then pass through security. The queues at the checks fluctuate significantly depending on the departure slots.
Alternatives for smokers in transit or on long waits
When the layover lasts several hours and the boarding area offers nothing, the situation becomes uncomfortable. Here are some options to consider.
Nicotine substitutes in the duty-free area
The duty-free shops at Nantes Atlantique sell nicotine substitutes (lozenges, gums). Nicotine patches or lozenges remain the only allowed recourse after security. They can be found at pharmacies before departure or sometimes in shops in the duty-free area.
Electronic cigarette: the rule in the boarding area
Vaping is prohibited in closed and covered collective workspaces, and this ban extends to the airport’s boarding areas. Vaping in the boarding area at Nantes is prohibited, just like smoking a regular cigarette. Some passengers attempt to vape discreetly in the restrooms, but there is a risk of a fine.
Nearby accommodations with smoking areas
For passengers with an early morning flight who are staying nearby the night before, some seasonal rentals close to the airport (notably near Saint-Aignan-Grandlieu) offer smoking areas in certain designated zones. These accommodations explicitly position themselves as stops for travelers who can no longer smoke in the terminal.
Quick comparison with other French airports
The policy at Nantes Atlantique is stricter than the average of regional airports. To put it in perspective:
- Lyon Saint-Exupéry also does not have a smoking area after security but clearly informs about the possibility of smoking outside the terminals before the checks.
- Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly offer identified smoking areas in certain terminals, with ventilated cabins or dedicated terraces.
- Several regional airports maintain outdoor patios accessible after security, which is not the case in Nantes.
The general trend is towards the gradual removal of these spaces, and Nantes is among the airports that have taken this direction proactively.
The key takeaway for any flight departing from Nantes Atlantique: the last cigarette is smoked outside, before security. Once past the checks, no solution exists, and the Nantes Grand Angle project does not plan to create one. It is better to factor this time into the preparation for the trip to the airport rather than searching for an option that does not exist on-site.