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All airlines? Most airlines? Some airlines? Airlines based in a specific country? Budget airlines?

Would it be better for the airlines if people would smoke on the plane? if smoking would be allowed (but maybe noone actually would smoke)? if smokers were on the plane?
Just some aspect of smoking being allowed relevant? the presence of ashtrays? people having a lighter or cigarettes with them? the cabin staff would be allowed to smoke as well?
Is their regret financial/economical? did they lose a substantial part of their patrons when they forbid smoking? are smokers likely to pay more for the seat? more likely to fly business class? would smokers consume less of the free beverages? would they buy cigarettes on the flight?

All airlines? This. Most airlines? Some airlines? Airlines based in a specific country? Budget airlines?

Would it be better for the airlines if people would smoke on the plane? This. if smoking would be allowed (but maybe noone actually would smoke)? if smokers were on the plane?
Just some aspect of smoking being allowed relevant? the presence of ashtrays? people having a lighter or cigarettes with them? the cabin staff would be allowed to smoke as well?
Is their regret financial/economical? did they lose a substantial part of their patrons when they forbid smoking? are smokers likely to pay more for the seat? more likely to fly business class? would smokers consume less of the free beverages? would they buy cigarettes on the flight? No to the rest.

Is it anything to do with the smoke produced? The lighters, potential fire risk, or smoke sensors or alarms? The customers, their attitudes or behaviour?
Is smoking itself relevant, non-smoking, both? Would there be more risks if smoking reintroduced, less, the same? If smoking were reintroduced, would the feelings of the non-smokers matter?

Covid-19 relevant? Is the idea that smoke in the air would kill viruses? or at least prevent them from entering the air conditioning system?
Is the idea in general that smoke in the air would improve something?
Smoking on toilets relevant?
Is the airline's regret serious? or more tongue-in-cheek?

Is it anything to do with the smoke produced? This. The lighters, potential fire risk, or smoke sensors or alarms? The customers, their attitudes or behaviour?
Is smoking itself relevant, This. non-smoking, both? Would there be more risks if smoking reintroduced, less, the same? Less. If smoking were reintroduced, would the feelings of the non-smokers matter? No to the rest.

Covid-19 relevant? Is the idea that smoke in the air would kill viruses? or at least prevent them from entering the air conditioning system?
Is the idea in general that smoke in the air would improve something? Explore.
Smoking on toilets relevant?
Is the airline's regret serious? Yes. or more tongue-in-cheek? No to the rest.

So if smoking was allowed but no one actually did smoke, this benefit would not occur, correct? Would it help if vaping was allowed, but not smoking? Incense but not smoking? Ventilation relevant? The placement of the smoking section? Crew relevant? Nicotine dependency? Safety relevant? Accidents? Cabin pressurization? Would the smoke make it possible to detect an issue earlier? Such as smoke odor drifting into non-smoking sections indicating a ventilation issue?

Is the use of non-smoking and smoking areas relevant? Extractor fans (or other means by which smoke is cleared or reduced) relevant? Presumably, smokers would be calmer if allowed to smoke or in a smokey environment? Might in-flight aggression decrease if smoking were allowed? Balance of chemicals in the air relevant e.g. smoke displacing other elements? Would the plane’s altitude matter? What about the non smokers’ views - would there be benefits for them?

So if smoking was allowed but no one actually did smoke, this benefit would not occur, correct? Correct. Would it help if vaping was allowed, but not smoking? No. Incense but not smoking? Yes. Ventilation relevant? Yes. The placement of the smoking section? No. Crew relevant? No. Nicotine dependency? No. Safety relevant? Yes. Accidents? Yes. Cabin pressurization? Yes. Would the smoke make it possible to detect an issue earlier? Yes. Such as smoke odor drifting into non-smoking sections indicating a ventilation issue? Not this.

Is the use of non-smoking and smoking areas relevant? No. Extractor fans (or other means by which smoke is cleared or reduced) relevant? Uncertain, but I doubt it. Presumably, smokers would be calmer if allowed to smoke or in a smokey environment? Might in-flight aggression decrease if smoking were allowed? Balance of chemicals in the air relevant e.g. smoke displacing other elements? Would the plane’s altitude matter? What about the non smokers’ views - would there be benefits for them? Indirectly. All else irrelevant.

If people smoked, would there be less oxygen atoms as a result? More? The same? Is oxygen flammable? If so, would the act of smoking deplete the supply of oxygen atoms to some extent, it being a closed environment? Is carbon dioxide relevant?

If people smoked, would there be less oxygen atoms as a result? More? The same? Is oxygen flammable? If so, would the act of smoking deplete the supply of oxygen atoms to some extent, it being a closed environment? Is carbon dioxide relevant? All irrelevant.

PMing.

Trebor wrote:

QI did a segment on how once smoking was banned on commercial flights, the air filtration and purification systems (and all such related things) were deemed unnecessary and were removed/aren't even put in planes anymore. So the air quality now on planes is actually far worse than it was when smoking was allowed, because when smoking was allowed the airlines had to clean the air. Is this it?

Sorry, no. Air quality is not the issue at stake.

Does the smoke help to detect a potential safety issue? help to detect a dangerous situation earlier? help to rescue from a dangerous situation?
Would the dangerous situation or safety issue be related to cabin pressure? ventilation?
Would the smoke help during or after an emergency landing?
Relevant that its smoke (i.e. solid particles in the air)? so, a lot of steam in the air would not have the same effect? but perhaps a lot of dust?

Does the smoke help to detect a potential safety issue? Yes. help to detect a dangerous situation earlier? Yes. help to rescue from a dangerous situation? No.
Would the dangerous situation or safety issue be related to cabin pressure? No, but... ventilation? No, but...
Would the smoke help during or after an emergency landing? No.
Relevant that its smoke (i.e. solid particles in the air)? Yes. so, a lot of steam in the air would not have the same effect? No. but perhaps a lot of dust? Possibly.

Oxygen relevant? Air flow? Anything to do with the air in the cabin at all? Smoke adhering to surfaces relevant? The smell of smoke? Air filters?

Oxygen relevant? Air flow? This. Anything to do with the air in the cabin at all? Yes, look out for FAs. Smoke adhering to surfaces relevant? And this. The smell of smoke? Air filters?

Smoke adhering to: vents? Seats? Upholstery? Floors? Walls? ceilings? Windows?
Would people have to be smoking currently, for this to work? If not, could they've smoked: seconds ago? Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks?
Is the relevant problem something that could happen while flying? On the ground? Loading? Unloading? During maintenance? Cracks relevant? Would smoke stain vents and other place where the cabin air was drawn out? And stains in any wrong places would indicate a leak or other airflow issue?

Smoke adhering to: vents? Seats? Upholstery? Floors? Walls? Mostly this. ceilings? Windows?
Would people have to be smoking currently, for this to work? No. If not, could they've smoked: seconds ago? Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? Smoking would have to go on for some time, but the evidence would be visible as long as necessary afterwards.
Is the relevant problem something that could happen while flying? This. On the ground? Loading? Unloading? During maintenance? Cracks relevant? Yes. Would smoke stain vents and other place where the cabin air was drawn out? Yes. And stains in any wrong places would indicate a leak or other airflow issue? Yes!



Spoiler:



Where smoking is still permitted aboard passenger planes, one advantage is that inspectors can use the distinctive yellow-brown stains to spot structural weaknesses from outside. If stains are visible around a window or hatch, for example, smoke is escaping through a damaged spot that may "blow out" in flight.

Nice puzzle.