IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

Industry Insight by Ellesmere Zhu

Oct.31.2022

“Heated Tobacco only” as the IQOS brand may imply, guests in the room were all smoking traditional cigarettes.

Article by Ellesmere Zhu | photo by David Yu

2FIRSTS correspondent notices that in the international departure of Manila International Airport lies a smoking room labeled IQOS, an HTP brand of PMI.

IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

The room was not crowded but always occupied as people went in and out. “HTP only” as the IQOS brand may imply, guests in the room were all smoking traditional cigarettes.

IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

IQOS Smoking Room at Manila International Airport

#Africa #Egypt #Regulation

*This article is an original article of 2FIRSTS Technology Co., Ltd. The copyright and license rights belong to the company. Any entity or individual shall make link and credit 2FIRSTS when taking actions to copy, reprint or distribute the original article. The company retains the right to pursue its legal responsibility.

China Tobacco Regulation Shift：Policy Updates and Market Impact

China Tobacco Regulation Shift：Policy Updates and Market Impact

NAS 2026 | Former FDA Tobacco Chief Mitch Zeller Calls for Shift From “End Game” to “End State”

NAS 2026 | Former FDA Tobacco Chief Mitch Zeller Calls for Shift From “End Game” to “End State”

At the 2026 New Approaches Summit in New York, former FDA Center for Tobacco Products Director Mitch Zeller called for the tobacco harm reduction debate to shift from the traditional “end game” toward defining a desired “end state.” He also highlighted unresolved concerns around dual use, argued that biomarkers of exposure may be more meaningful than cigarettes-per-day in assessing risk reduction, and said nicotine misperceptions remain a major barrier to public health progress.

Elf Bar Vape Explosion and Amputation Claim Spurs Coverage Suit, U.S. Insurer MUSIC Seeks Ruling It Owes No Duty to Defend or Indemnify Distributor i5

Elf Bar Vape Explosion and Amputation Claim Spurs Coverage Suit, U.S. Insurer MUSIC Seeks Ruling It Owes No Duty to Defend or Indemnify Distributor i5

Mesa Underwriters Specialty Insurance Company has asked a federal court in Washington to declare that it has no duty to defend or indemnify vape distributor i5 Distribution in a product liability case involving an Elf Bar BC5000. The plaintiff alleges that the disposable vape caught fire and exploded in his pocket, causing severe burns and ultimately requiring an above-the-knee amputation of his left leg. MUSIC is relying on a tobacco, nicotine or nicotine replacement products exclusion and a premises limitation endorsement. The court has not ruled on the coverage dispute.

Product | BAT Expands VELO Peach Ice Medium to FamilyMart Stores Nationwide in Japan

Product | BAT Expands VELO Peach Ice Medium to FamilyMart Stores Nationwide in Japan

British American Tobacco Japan (BAT Japan) expanded VELO Peach Ice Medium to FamilyMart stores nationwide in Japan from September 7, 2026. The oral tobacco product first launched on July 6 and had previously been sold through VELO's official online store, glo Store Ginza and tobacco retailers. It combines peach flavor with menthol cooling at a Medium strength level and is priced at JPY 360. Japanese tobacco retailers list 15 pouches per pack. The move adds the new SKU to an existing nationwide FamilyMart distribution network for VELO rather than marking the brand's first entry into the convenience-store chain.

Kumulus Vape2026 H1 Revenue Falls 8.3% but Profit Rises 24% as B2B Weakens and Consumer Channels Grow

Kumulus Vape2026 H1 Revenue Falls 8.3% but Profit Rises 24% as B2B Weakens and Consumer Channels Grow

French vaping company Kumulus Vape reported first-half 2026 revenue of €25.5 million, down 8.3% year over year, as its core B2B distribution business fell 11% to €21.6 million. B2C and store-network revenue rose 5.6% and 17.8%, respectively. Commercial margin increased to 26.3% from 21.7%, while net profit rose 24.1% to €0.8 million. The company attributed the profitability improvement to catalog optimization, logistics restructuring and the ramp-up of Labster, its in-house production unit for proprietary brands.

Sep.17 by 2Firsts Perspectives

Kelly White Bets on Female Consumers as Nicotine Pouch Competition Intensifies | 2Firsts Interview

Kelly White Bets on Female Consumers as Nicotine Pouch Competition Intensifies | 2Firsts Interview

Swedish nicotine pouch brand Kelly White is building its strategy around adult female consumers. Founder and CEO Sophia Wilsby told 2Firsts that women accounted for around 70% of the brand’s repeat customers on HAYPP in Sweden in 2025. The interview explores female consumer segmentation, product and design differentiation, gender stereotypes, packaging regulation, and how independent brands can compete with global players such as ZYN and VELO while considering funding, partnerships and future ownership options.

PMI CEO Attends Opening of IQOS Global Flagship in Tokyo’s Ginza as 1,814 Limited ILUMA i PRIME Sets Launch

PMI CEO Attends Opening of IQOS Global Flagship in Tokyo’s Ginza as 1,814 Limited ILUMA i PRIME Sets Launch

IQOS opened its first global flagship, IQOS Flagship Ginza, in Tokyo on September 4, 2026, replacing the former IQOS Store Ginza after nearly a decade of operation. The new location expands conventional product retail into member lounges, digital experiences, art installations and brand programming. IQOS also launched a Ginza-exclusive IQOS ILUMA i PRIME set limited to 1,814 individually numbered units, priced at JPY11,980, or about US$77. PMI Sales Strategy Consultant Yuji M. later said on LinkedIn that more than 500 people had lined up from the night before the opening.

Related Topics

Related Read

NAS 2026 | Former FDA Tobacco Chief Mitch Zeller Calls for Shift From “End Game” to “End State”

NAS 2026 | Former FDA Tobacco Chief Mitch Zeller Calls for Shift From “End Game” to “End State”

Elf Bar Vape Explosion and Amputation Claim Spurs Coverage Suit, U.S. Insurer MUSIC Seeks Ruling It Owes No Duty to Defend or Indemnify Distributor i5

Elf Bar Vape Explosion and Amputation Claim Spurs Coverage Suit, U.S. Insurer MUSIC Seeks Ruling It Owes No Duty to Defend or Indemnify Distributor i5

Product | BAT Expands VELO Peach Ice Medium to FamilyMart Stores Nationwide in Japan

Product | BAT Expands VELO Peach Ice Medium to FamilyMart Stores Nationwide in Japan

Kumulus Vape2026 H1 Revenue Falls 8.3% but Profit Rises 24% as B2B Weakens and Consumer Channels Grow

Kumulus Vape2026 H1 Revenue Falls 8.3% but Profit Rises 24% as B2B Weakens and Consumer Channels Grow

2Firsts Perspectives

Kelly White Bets on Female Consumers as Nicotine Pouch Competition Intensifies | 2Firsts Interview

Kelly White Bets on Female Consumers as Nicotine Pouch Competition Intensifies | 2Firsts Interview

PMI CEO Attends Opening of IQOS Global Flagship in Tokyo’s Ginza as 1,814 Limited ILUMA i PRIME Sets Launch

PMI CEO Attends Opening of IQOS Global Flagship in Tokyo’s Ginza as 1,814 Limited ILUMA i PRIME Sets Launch