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 interfere with the effectiveness of airline pilot oxygen masks, challenging common clean-shaven policies.
The research found no difference in oxygen saturation levels or the ability to block irritants between clean-shaven pilots and those with short or long beards when using standard masks.
These findings align with a 2018 study commissioned by Air Canada, suggesting many major U.S. airlines' clean-shaven policies, which are not FAA-mandated, may be unnecessary.

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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.