Why pilots are forbidden from wearing beards

Over the past decade, a veritable beard epidemic has swept the world. Wearing facial hair has become stylish and fashionable at any age. But there are some people who can't follow this trend. These are representatives of a difficult and responsible profession – pilots. You may never have noticed, but among the crew members of passenger airliners, there are men with mustaches, but no bearded ones.





The vast majority of airlines around the world prohibit pilots from growing beards. Moreover, this rule may not even be formally established. The ban simply exists, and people have to put up with it. The negative attitude towards bearded men is not a whim, but a serious safety measure.



A spokesperson for the US Federal Aviation Administration responded to a question regarding beards in commercial aviation in a press interview:

"We don't have a mandatory rule like regular shaving, but many still include it in their policies, requiring pilots to not have beards. This is necessary to ensure that oxygen masks fit tightly to the face if they need to be used. We only require that oxygen masks perform their intended function, and the rest is up to the airlines."





Airlines that have officially implemented this ban vary in their wording. For example, Delta Airlines states that a shaved chin is essential "when using an oxygen mask to maintain a good seal." This clause is similar in American Airlines' pilot policy.

The Year Beards Were Outlawed

It's worth noting that beards weren't always viewed with hostility in aviation. It all began in 1987, when scientists conducted a series of studies and demonstrated that facial hair can interfere with quickly donning an oxygen mask. Furthermore, the effectiveness of this vital device was reduced by a poor fit. Experts determined experimentally that bearded pilots lost between 16 and 67 percent of their oxygen supply.



A passenger suffering from oxygen deprivation due to a fashion fad is bad, but not critical. But what if this happens to pilots, who require the utmost concentration? If it's an emergency, things could end badly for everyone on board.

Incidentally, for a very similar reason, German soldiers were forbidden to wear the fashionable "Kaiser" moustache during World War I.