Hawaiian Airlines Pilots Have To Shave Their Beards, Ending Rare Exception

My dad was a fireman. Beards were prohibited because they interfered with the breathing apparatus.

It’s just an excuse that the airlines in the US use and the FAA doesn’t wanting to update its rules. The masks are the same across the world but plenty of airlines abroad allow their pilots to have beards.

Most US airlines do not allow beards; it doesn't matter what a university study showed if the FAA has not adopted it.

Even if you get past the technology issues, you have human factors issues such as perceived appearance enforcement - not much different when discussing the use of voice calls on commercial aircraft

No such restrictions exist elsewhere, as far as I’m aware. Many European crews have neatly trimmed beards.

"No more Beardos!"

Europe has also never asked passengers to take off their shoes at security screening… and somehow they survived and are doing well…

In the oil and gas industry, especially refineries, beards are not allowed due to the issue with a potentially poor mask seal in the event of an emergency and breathing air is required.

This has been the case at XOM and other companies for decades.

I worked at a major European airline and was on the committee that dealt with uniforms and appearance. Frequent discussions about beards, smoke hoods, safety, personal choice.

Safety always won. Beards were not allowed.

Nonsense Voian, European passengers always took their shoes off at security for 20 years.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the significance of beards in Hawaiian or Polynesian culture?

Has there ever been an actual event where a bearded pilot had to use an oxygen mask? If so, what happened?

As a European I can tell you this is total nonsense. No taking off shoes. Unless you’re visiting your friends’ house, not passing through an airport.

@UncleRonnie - LOL, what planet do you live on? I travel 60+ sectors per year, 99% of them in Europe and I never ever had to take my shoes off except when I set an alarm off. They will sometimes ask passengers with big/heavy shoes (e.g. boots) to take them off if a "shoe scanner" is not available, but normal shoes always stay on.

A thick beard is likely to reduce the effectiveness of oxygen masks. If I am just sitting still and doing an emergency descent to 10,000 feet, then maybe it's not a big deal. But smoke on the flight deck, or any critical emergency, you're not breathing 14 times a minute. If you want to wear a beard, choose another profession.

I’ve flown almost every European airline and many crew have beards.

No there has never been an incident and there have actually been studies that demonstrated no issues with modern masks sealing to anyone from clean shaven to stubble to full on beard. All commercial planes are equipped witb modern masks that will work for baby bottom smooth faces to ZZ top members. Just execs trying to flex and imposing their will

As a snorkler I shave beard and moustache otherwise water leakage.

US firefighter here, beards are not allowed, per OSHA, NIOSH, etc. One can't get a proper seal when donning a mask, especially in an emergent situation, i.e. smoke on the flight deck.

In 25 years flying Hawaiian I do not remember a bearded pilot. Another solution in search of a problem? I thought better of Alaskan.

@Jerry, I was genuinely wondering the same thing. I will look around for any enlightening answers.

I once saw a goatee on an Iberia pilot, but besides moustaches, that's about it for facial hair on pilots.

I feel so much safer...not.

Simmer down there, Petey. Shouldn't you be praying?

You'd expect more tolerance from "Seattle Airlines". Perhaps a Facial Hair History Month campaign is in the works. Maybe some of their flight attendants complained that they could not grow beards without hormone therapy and riled up the rank and file.

After conducting preliminary research, I've found no compelling evidence that beards hold particular cultural or spiritual significance within Hawaiian, Polynesian, or Māori traditions.

While the face is indeed revered, and in certain contexts, sacred, this veneration manifests primarily through practices such as tā moko (facial tattooing) rather than through any documented reverence for facial hair. That said, I would welcome input from someone with deeper cultural expertise, as my research has clear limitations.

In the absence of a culturally informed explanation, I'm left with my leading hypothesis: envious flight attendants demanding hormone therapy.

What about pilots who wear beards for religious reasons like Sikhs? I guess this is more of a general airline question than just for Hawaiian, since it’s apparently the policy for most US airlines.

Oh, just because you've never seen a bearded Hawaiian pilot, thta means they don't have any? Hahaha.