Can pilots have beards? For years, airlines required pilots to stay clean-shaven, mainly because of oxygen mask safety. But today, more airlines allow facial hair. So what changed? In this article, I’ll explain why some airlines are easing their rules and what science says about the safety of gas masks and beards.

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Why do airlines restrict beards for pilots?

When it comes to beards among pilots and cabin crew, the oxygen mask is always a key issue. Because aside from the question of whether facial hair looks professional or not, the oxygen mask must fit properly in case of an emergency. The idea is that a beard could prevent the mask from sealing well enough.

Airlines handle beards very differently. Qantas and Jetstar, for example, require their pilots to stay clean-shaven. Pilots at Qantaslink, a Qantas subsidiary, may keep stubble. But when the parent company recently announced that Qantaslink pilots must also shave, a heated debate broke out. The Qantaslink pilots openly opposed the stricter rule.

Air Canada took the opposite approach. Since 2018, both stewards and pilots there may wear beards, as long as the hair stays shorter than 1.25 centimeters. Beard length often determines the policy. At British Airways, for example, pilots may grow beards up to 1.5 centimeters, provided they shave their necks clean. That clean-shaven neck still relates directly to oxygen mask safety.

Pilots and beards: airline policies vs. safety studies

So are the airlines that allow beards simply less strict when it comes to safety? Do they care less about whether a gas mask seals properly, and is that the reason why pilots are increasingly wearing beards? You might think so, but that’s not the case.

In 2018, Air Canada commissioned a study by Simon Fraser University. Researchers tested the effectiveness of gas masks on men with stubble, medium-length beards, and even beards longer than 40 centimeters. The results showed that modern masks provided sufficient airflow regardless of beard length. According to the researchers, airline policies are based on outdated studies and outdated equipment.

Another study, recently conducted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and published in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, confirmed the findings of Simon Fraser University. This research also showed that beard length has no effect on gas mask safety.

Why pilots are increasingly wearing beards

It’s clear that outdated ideas still drive the beard ban. Modern research shows that beards do not compromise safety, so airlines could allow them without risk. Yet appearance continues to play a major role in aviation. Pilots wear uniforms with symbolic weight, and airlines expect them to look well-groomed. That focus on presentation likely explains why some airlines still refuse to accept beards in the cockpit.

No matter how skilled a pilot is, airlines also see them as the company’s calling card. And no matter how many studies prove otherwise, some airlines will keep banning beards on board.

Best,
Aileen

Last update: 29/03/2026