Hawaiian Airlines pilots with beards will have to shave them off, and some aren’t too happy about that, as reported by AirlineGeeks…
In this post:
Alaska Air Group updates pilot appearance standards
Hawaiian is now part of Alaska Air Group, and the two carriers are working on integrating their labor groups. Despite plans to maintain two separate brands, on the back-end, the goal is for the airlines to operate as one. As part of that, Alaska Air Group is rolling out updated uniform and appearance standards for pilots at the two brands.
As of this month (April 2026), Hawaiian pilots are no longer allowed to have beards. As Alaska System Chief Pilot Scott Day described this “significant” change, “going forward, facial hair must meet specific requirements to ensure compliance with FAA guidance and flight deck safety and beards will not be authorized.” With the updates, a well-groomed mustache remains approved, so this is specific to beards.
In a separate follow-up message, the company’s Vice President of Flight Operations, Dave Mets, wrote that “I recognize this is an important issue for many and do not want to be insensitive or vague about it in any way,” adding that “I fully understand that this is a policy decision many of you do not and may never agree with.” He also noted that “our safest and most compliant path forward was to prohibit beards in the flight deck in our combined uniform policy.”
What’s the issue with airline pilots having beards?
Broadly speaking, there are two main considerations with airline uniform and appearance standards — it’s partly about how the company wants employees to present themselves, but it’s also about safety.
In this case, safety seems to be the primary consideration. Regulators have long had concerns about the use of oxygen masks by pilots with beards, with oxygen mask manufacturers recommending against beards in the flight deck. The concern is that facial hair can cause mask leaks.
The FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute recently “reaffirmed its long-standing recommendation that for safety reasons, beards should not be allowed in the flight deck.” This isn’t some new controversy, though. Quite to the contrary, the FAA has had guidance about this dating all the way back to 1987.
I guess up until now, Hawaiian has chosen not to go along with this recommendation, perhaps partly for cultural reasons. That’s why Alaska Air Group executives note that there’s “absolutely no desire or intention to diminish the way Hawaiian Airlines and/or Hawaiian culture is celebrated and respected within our combined company.” However, as the two brands align policies, I guess it’s logical that Alaska doesn’t want to eliminate this requirement for pilots at Alaska, so…
It’s worth noting that claims about safety concerns over masks for those with beards have also been disputed. In 2024, an Embry-Riddle study found no evidence of facial hair causing mask leaks. Nonetheless, Alaska Air Group is clearly trying to err on the side of caution, even if it’s somewhat contested.
As Alaska Air Group executives implement this policy, they’re even noting the importance of following best practices with masks based on how “our own very recent experience with Alaska Flight 1282 demonstrated the seriousness of this topic as our pilots had to don their O2 masks due to the rapid decompression that occurred.”
Bottom line
As of April 2026, Hawaiian Airlines pilots are no longer allowed to have beards, ending a decades-long policy. Instead, they can only have mustaches. Ultimately this is a policy change that we’ve seen at many airlines over the years, with the main concern being air leaking while oxygen masks are used.
Hawaiian seemingly kept this policy for cultural reasons, but as Alaska Air Group introduces unified policies for pilots, it’s not surprising that the airline is cracking down on this.
What do you make of Hawaiian’s updated beard policy for pilots?
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.
I feel so much safer...not.
In 25 years flying Hawaiian I do not remember a bearded pilot. Another solution in search of a problem? I thought better of Alaskan.
Oh, just because you've never seen a bearded Hawaiian pilot, thta means they don't have any? Hahaha.
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.
As a snorkler I shave beard and moustache otherwise water leakage.
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.
Has there ever been an actual event where a bearded pilot had to use an oxygen mask? If so, what happened?
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
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.
Pardon my ignorance, but what is the significance of beards in Hawaiian or Polynesian culture?
@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.
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...
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.
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.
I’ve flown almost every European airline and many crew have beards.
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.
"No more Beardos!"
Simmer down there, Petey. Shouldn't you be praying?
No such restrictions exist elsewhere, as far as I’m aware. Many European crews have neatly trimmed beards.
Europe has also never asked passengers to take off their shoes at security screening… and somehow they survived and are doing well…
Nonsense Voian, European passengers always took their shoes off at security for 20 years.
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.
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
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.
My dad was a fireman. Beards were prohibited because they interfered with the breathing apparatus.