Mayor Jackie Biskupski and Salt Lake City International Airport have announced plans to phase out the five smoking rooms currently in use in five concourses at the airport.
The six-month plan will begin on July 5 with the closure of the smoking room in Concourse D, with the final smoking room permanently closing on December 19. The current designs of the US$1.8bn Terminal Redevelopment Program, which is scheduled for completion in 2020, do not include space for smoking rooms.
“This is first and foremost an issue of public health, both for travelers and our airport employees, but it is also an issue of space,” said Biskupski. “The current airport terminal is beyond capacity, and every foot of available space should be used to the best advantage of the traveling public.”
Closing the smoking rooms will free up more than 1,200ft² in the concourses for other purposes such as retail space, charging stations for electronics and extra passenger seating.
“We have thoroughly studied the issue of closing the smoking rooms,” said airport executive director Maureen Riley. “While we expect a mild change in routine for some using the airport, we anticipate no major impact on passenger movement or convenience by taking this step.”