Hawaiian Airlines Pilots Lose Rare Beard Exception

New combined standard with Alaska Airlines takes effect this month.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, April 03, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

A Hawaiian Boeing 717 [Credit: Shutterstock/ Ritu Manoj Jethani]

Key Takeaways:

Hawaiian Airlines pilots will no longer be permitted to have beards, aligning with Alaska Air Group's combined pilot uniform and appearance policy following their merger.
The policy change is justified by Alaska Air Group based on "long-standing FAA guidance," oxygen mask manufacturer recommendations, and a safety risk assessment, citing concerns about oxygen mask seal and referencing a recent decompression event.
This decision is controversial, as it contrasts with more recent studies that suggest facial hair does not compromise oxygen mask performance, though the FAA's older advisory circular remains active.

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Hawaiian Airlines pilots will lose a long-standing and unusual allowance for beards as Alaska Air Group rolls out a combined pilot uniform and appearance policy following the carriers’ merger.

In an internal email dated March 23 seen by AirlineGeeks.com, Alaska system chief pilot Scott Day told pilots that a “significant” revision to the flight operations manual (FOM) would be released April 1, including updates to the uniform and appearance policy. He said all Boeing 787 pilots would also begin transitioning to the Alaska uniform on April 20.