Why Hawaiian Airlines Pilots Must Shave Their Beards During Alaska Integration
Hawaiian Airlines pilots must shave off their beards this month as Alaska Airlines enforces new uniform and look requirements. Although beards within the cockpit already go towards longstanding FAA guidelines, Hawaiian pilots have loved an exception primarily resulting from cultural causes.
Alaska has framed its choice as being motivated by security, citing oxygen masks producer issues over beards resulting in masks leaks. The new coverage will come into impact this month and has reignited a fierce debate throughout the {industry} over facial hair and security.
Hawaiian Pilots Are No Longer Allowed Beards
As first reported by AirlineGeeks, 
Alaska Airlines has carried out a big revision to its Flight Operations Manual (FOM), together with establishing a single set of look requirements for Alaska and Hawaiian flight crews. The most notable change is that Hawaiian’s pilots will now not take pleasure in an exemption to industry-wide rules on beards in the cockpit. Prior to its merger with Alaska, Hawaiian selected to not implement longstanding FAA steering on beards for cultural causes, however that is about to vary underneath Alaska’s unified look and uniform guidelines.
According to an inner e mail from Alaska’s system chief pilot Scott Day, though mustaches will nonetheless be permitted, beards “will not be authorized” on the flight deck with the intention to “ensure compliance with FAA guidance.” Alaska’s Vice President of Flight Operations, Dave Mets, elaborated on the choice in a separate e mail to pilots. While recognizing the potential controversy over the beard ban, Mets acknowledged that it was accomplished for security and compliance causes. Mets added,
“I recognize this is an important issue for many and do not want to be insensitive or vague about it in any way. I fully understand that this is a policy decision many of you do not and may never agree with.”
The Rules On Pilots Having Beards
The argument towards beards within the cockpit is nearly completely security pushed, though worker look performs a contributing issue. Safety gear producers have suggested towards pilot beards as they will intrude with oxygen masks, probably resulting in seal leaks that might jeopardize security throughout emergencies.
Alaska cited the high-profile Flight AS1282 incident from January 2024, when a door plug detached from an Alaska Boeing 737 MAX 9 During his climb, forcing the crew to donate oxygen masks whereas coping with the emergency. Although to 2024 study Conducted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University discovered that beards don’t intrude with oxygen masks efficacy, Alaska says its personal research have supported the FAA’s steering.
Australian provider Qantas was just lately within the information after pursuing a brand new coverage requiring all pilots to be clean-shaven, additionally citing oxygen masks security. In response, the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) mentioned the choice was primarily based on outdated science, including that main international airways like Emirates permit pilots to have well-groomed beards.
Safety Or Appearance Driven?
The FAA’s guidelines on pilot beards underneath AC 120-43 date again to 1987 and are nonetheless in power. While the overwhelming majority of US airways have banned their pilots from having beards, there may be rising proof to counsel this isn’t crucial, maybe paving the way in which for an industry-wide change.
However, very similar to tattoos, beards may also be a thorny problem for airways that need their crew to showcase a “clean” look. Given the Aloha State’s robust heritage of tattoos — identified domestically as kakau uhi — Hawaiian already has extra relaxed guidelines on crew with tattoos, and this appears unlikely to vary.
While Alaska is raring to protect Hawaiian’s tradition, the continuing merger integration has pressured a tough compromise between the Hawaiian provider’s distinctive identification and company-wide requirements. As Simple Flying reported final month, Alaska has already removed Hawaiian’s iconic ‘Pualani’ livery from its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, which now sports activities Alaska’s new ‘Global’ Aurora Borealis-inspired design.
