FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 15, 1998
Contact: Bill Mosley
Tel.: (202) 366-5571
DOT 221-98
All U.S.-Carrier Flights Now Completely
Smoke-Free,
Secretary Slater Says
All U.S.-carrier flights, both domestic and international, are now completely smoke-free, Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater said today.
In addition, 91 percent of all flights between the United States and foreign destinations, including those by foreign carriers, are smoke-free.
"President Clinton is committed to cleaner air, policies that best ensure protecting the health of the American people, and the Department of Transportation has made eliminating in-flight smoking a top priority," Secretary Slater said. "Just over 10 years ago, it was virtually impossible to find a smoke-free flight; now, it is possible to fly to almost any destination without encountering smoking."
The Secretary added that in June 1997, New Zealand joined an existing agreement between the United States, Canada and Australia to ban smoking on flights operated by their airlines between these countries.
Besides the U.S. carrier actions, most foreign carriers serving the United States have eliminated smoking on most or all of their flights in accord with a resolution of the International Civil Aviation Organization which calls for a total ban on smoking on international flights.
This progress in eliminating smoking on international flights complements the statutory ban on smoking on U.S. domestic flights which took effect in February 1990.
Starting this month, Tower Air became the last U.S. carrier to eliminate all smoking on international flights.
DOT has made available on the Internet a list of countries served by non-stop no-smoking flights by U.S. carriers at http://ostpxweb.dot.gov/.
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