The world has perhaps, for now, moved past “peak beard” – that memorable recent period when it seemed nearly everyone capable of doing so was growing weird and wonderful facial hair. But there is at least one group of people on the planet who were less able to indulge in the man-scaping trend during its height. Pilots.
While there is no official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rule dictating whether airline pilots are allowed to grow beards, there is an unwritten rule about it in the industry, and many commercial carriers have their own guidelines. Why? Because a 1987 FAA study showed that “oxygen mask efficiency is reduced by the presence of facial hair”. According to the study, the hair can prevent the device from sealing properly, meaning as much as 16% to 67% of the oxygen may leak out of the mask on beard wearers – enough to put the pilot and their passengers in danger.
What’s more, slightly strangely, the FAA concluded that oxygen masks “many times cannot be donned rapidly” by “bearded individuals”.
These findings however did not translate into a hard and fast rule.
“We do not have any regulation – like a clean shaving regulation – but a lot of airlines have policies requiring pilots to have no beards or minimal beards to ensure that oxygen masks fit snugly if they’re needed,” an FAA spokesperson told Thrillist. Strictly speaking, the only FAA requirement is for “oxygen masks to be functional”. It is the airlines themselves that take the matter further.
American Airlines have a ban on “pilots with facial hair” while “on active duty,” which a spokesperson emphasised twice was for safety reasons.
At Delta Air Lines, neat little moustaches that end at the corner of the lips, channelling David Niven, are permitted, as are sideburns that are no longer than mid-ear. No hair can cover the chin or cheek area.
In 2022, British Airways updated their guidance on staff appearance and attire, to allow flight crews of all genders to wear make-up, piercings and even “man-buns” so that everyone could “be bold, be proud, be yourself”. However, BA’s traditional crew orders on facial hair has been, “If worn, beards must be short, well-trimmed and their style compatible with the design of oxygen mask on the aircraft for which the crew member is qualified.”
You may be wondering how passengers can ensure their facial hair is compatible with the life-saving masks, but as passengers are not required to be active during flights, the rule about mask efficiency and beards does not apply to them.
