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Following a circular from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), airlines have banned on board flights the use of all vaping devices, including e-cigarettes, e-cigars, e-hookah, for the safety of passengers from the aerosolised nicotine mixture emitted by the smoke.
Though e-cigarettes do not actually contain a simple nicotine-water mixture, as most people have been led to believe, research suggests that the most common liquid used to carry the nicotine is propylene glycol, which can produce respiratory irritation and even contribute to asthma attacks.
Jet Airways has forbidden the use of electronic nicotine delivery systems at all times in the vicinity of the aircraft, with immediate effect. According to the DGCA circular, however, passengers can carry such devices in their hand baggage, provided these remain packed and unused.
The DGCA circular said: "The amount of nicotine in a cartridge can vary widely and their safety is unknown. In accordance with aircraft rules, no person shall smoke, in any part of an aircraft or in its vicinity," The Times of India reported.
Earlier, the US Department of Transportation had in March explicitly banned the use of vape pens on board airplanes. “This final rule is important because it protects airline passengers from unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes that occur when electronic cigarettes are used on board airplanes,” US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx had said in a statement.
E-cigarettes are typically powered by lithium batteries, which can self-ignite if they are damaged, are exposed to excessive temperatures or have a manufacturing defect.
While further study is needed to fully understand the risks, DGCA believed that a precautionary approach is best.
