Authorities Detain Foreign Traveler for Vaping During Flight

On April 29, Beijing Radio and Television Station (BRTV) reported that a foreign traveler was detained by police at Beijing Daxing International Airport for vaping on an international flight. The incident took place in the early hours of March 12, 2025, during the cruising portion of a flight from Kyrgyzstan to Beijing.

According to the report, flight crew noticed that the individual had used an e-cigarette in the aircraft lavatory, triggering the smoke alarm system. The crew promptly informed authorities, and upon the flight's arrival, officers from the Beijing police department's Daxing Airport division detained the individual.

Under China's Public Security Administration Punishments Law, the passenger was subjected to administrative detention. Chinese law strictly prohibits smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes on all commercial flights. 

Authorities stress that the regulation is in place due to safety concerns: aircraft cabins are enclosed, and secondhand smoke can be harmful to passengers; smoke detection systems may be activated unnecessarily, disrupting flight operations; and most importantly, any form of smoking poses a significant fire hazard onboard.