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 found that beards of any length do not compromise the effectiveness of standard airline oxygen masks for pilots, challenging many airlines' long-standing clean-shaven policies.
The research, conducted in a hypoxia chamber, showed no difference in oxygen saturation levels or ability to block irritants between clean-shaven, short-bearded, and long-bearded participants.
These findings align with previous studies, such as one commissioned by Air Canada in 2018, yet many major U.S. airlines still prohibit pilot beards despite no such mandate from the FAA.

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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.