Major airline's flight delayed after ‘no smoking’ signs are discovered missing

A flight from a major airline was delayed recently after a missing "no smoking" sticker within a row of seats forced the plane to remain at the gate.

A traveler shared on Reddit that the aircraft could not depart because one row was missing its required sign — and the incident began circulating online. 

"We've all boarded, and the captain just came out to tell us that an hour ago they discovered that row 18 was missing its no smoking sticker," the passenger wrote.  

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"They have been waiting for JFK maintenance to print a new sticker because without it this plane isn't legally allowed to fly."

The plane passenger suggested a much simpler fix.

"Can we not just whip out a Sharpie?" the passenger wrote.

In a Facebook discussion about the incident, one commenter pointed out that certain cabin signage requirements serve a broader safety purpose.

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"Ashtrays are required in restrooms," the commenter wrote. "If someone violates the rules and smokes in the restroom, at least that person can put the cigarette out in an ashtray rather than throw it into a trashcan and create a fire hazard."

Fox News Digital reached out to American Airlines for comment.

Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," told Fox News Digital the airline had little flexibility once the issue was identified.

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"Once someone reported the sign missing, American Airlines had no choice but to delay the flight to address it," he said.

He noted that under certain circumstances, the airline could potentially defer the replacement under its Minimum Equipment List, commonly known as the MEL — but only if the affected seats were blocked from use.

Leff noted that passengers generally understand that smoking is banned on planes — and that a crew announcement could clarify the rule if needed.

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"However, FAA regulations do not see it that way," he added.  

A similar situation happened on a United Airlines flight, Leff noted.

United previously grounded a fleet of planes after it failed to obtain an exemption related to "no smoking" sign rules. 

At the time, federal regulations required the signs to be capable of being turned on and off, a rule dating back to when smoking was allowed on flights, Leff said. 

"Subsequent to that embarrassing incident, the FAA altered its rules (effective Oct. 22, 2024) to allow No Smoking signs to be continuously illuminated without the ability of crew to turn them on and off," he said.