Japan-based airlines report record 429 cases of in-flight smoking in 2025

TOKYO - Major airlines based in Japan reported a record 429 cases of smoking on board domestic and international flights in 2025, the transport ministry said Monday, with the spread of heated tobacco products believed to be a major contributing factor.

The figure, the highest since comparable data became available in 2004, is a 6.6-fold increase from the lowest number recorded in 2019 at 65 cases. The government plans to work with airline carriers to raise public awareness of the risks of a fire breaking out on an aircraft.