Delta to Impose Smoking Ban on All Flights Across Atlantic

Delta Air Lines said Thursday that it will ban smoking on all transatlantic trips beginning next year.

Delta said a survey of its transatlantic passengers found the airline would risk losing 7% of those customers if it banned smoking, but the carrier said it also expects to attract new business by adopting the policy.

With more than 250 daily flights across the Atlantic, Delta has been one of the largest U.S. carriers to Europe since it bought routes from Pan Am. But it has been looking for ways to distinguish itself from competitors.

Other airlines have a few “smoke-free” flights on a few routes, but Delta is the first U.S. airline to ban smoking across the board in such a large market.

Delta’s policy also applies to flights within Europe and between New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and Mexico. Delta decided against extending the policy to Pacific routes because it would have risked losing too many passengers. Its competitors on Far East routes already offer many nonsmoking flights.