An American Airlines plane was grounded because it did not have a required “no smoking” sign
traveler It was shared on Reddit That the plane was unable to take off because one of the rows was missing the required mark – and the incident began to spread across the Internet.
The passenger wrote: “We all boarded, and the captain came out to tell us that an hour ago they discovered that row 18 was missing a no-smoking sticker.”
“They were waiting for JFK maintenance to print a new sticker because without it this plane is not legally allowed to fly.”
The plane passenger suggested a much simpler solution.
A flight was recently delayed when a no-smoking sticker, like the one shown above, was found missing from one row of seats. (Istock)
“Can’t we just hit Sharpie?” The passenger wrote.
In a Facebook discussion about the incident, one commenter noted that some cabin signage requirements serve a broader safety purpose.
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“Ashtrays are required in bathrooms,” the commenter wrote. “If someone violates the rules and Smokes in the bathroom“At least this person can put out the cigarette in the ashtray instead of throwing it in the trash and causing a fire hazard.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to American Airlines for comment.
Although one passenger suggested a quick and easy solution, federal regulations require specific cabin signage on planes. (Istock)
Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the “View From the Wing” blog, told Fox News Digital that the airline had little flexibility once the problem was identified.
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“Once someone reported the sign missing, American Airlines had no choice but to delay the flight to address the issue,” he said.
He noted that under certain circumstances, the airline would likely defer the replacement under its terms List of minimum equipmentknown as MEL – but only if the affected seats are prevented from being used.
Once the ‘no smoking’ sign was reported missing, the airline was asked to postpone the flight to comply with regulations, a travel expert said. (Istock)
Leaf noted that passengers generally understand that smoking is prohibited on planes, and that a crew announcement can clarify the rule if necessary.
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“However, FAA regulations don’t see it that way,” he added.
Leaf noted that a similar situation occurred on a United Airlines plane.
“No smoking signs must be illuminated continuously without the ability of the crew to turn them on and off.”
United previously grounded a fleet of planes after failing to obtain an exemption related to the “No Smoking” sign rules.
At the time, federal regulations required that signs be able to be turned on and off, a rule dating back to that time. Smoking is permitted Leif said on flights.
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“After this embarrassing incident, the FAA changed its rules (effective October 22, 2024) to allow the no-smoking signs to be continuously illuminated without the crew being able to turn them on and off,” he said.
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