Beard Safety for Airline Pilots Supported in New Study

Only a few U.S. airlines allow pilots to sport facial hair.

Ryan Ewing

Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Horizon Air E175 at Paine Field [AirlineGeeks/Katie Zera]

Key Takeaways:

A recent study provides strong evidence that beards do not compromise the effectiveness of standard airline oxygen masks for pilots, challenging long-standing clean-shaven policies at many airlines.
Conducted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the study found no difference in oxygen saturation levels or protection from irritants for pilots with clean-shaven faces, short beards, or long beards.
These findings align with a 2018 study that led Air Canada to allow pilots to have beards, though many major U.S. airlines still enforce clean-shaven rules despite no FAA mandate.

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A recent study has provided strong evidence that beards do not interfere with the effectiveness of oxygen masks for airline pilots, challenging long-standing policies at many airlines that require pilots to be clean-shaven.

The study, conducted by researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and published in the journal Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, found no difference in oxygen saturation levels between clean-shaven pilots and those with short or long beards when they use standard airline oxygen masks.