Hello, Ladies and gentleman. I hope you guys are having a wonderful day. I am piloting student from Iran and I got my US citizenship 2 years ago and my goal is to start my piloting carrier with United Airlines through their aviate program. I had a question regarding their beard policy because the last I checked United Airlines changed their policy in 2021 that the pilots are allowed to have well trimmed beard. I am Iranian Jewish (Mizrahim) and I have a well trimmed beard but due to my religion and culture I cannot have clean shaved face based on Zohar in Kabbalah. I wanted to be sure that their policy is still there and if not can I get a religious exemption and I got show proof from my rabbi.
Thank you so much
Kasra,
Every airline (with exception to Hawaiian) requires you CLEAN shave, there is no avoiding this policy anywhere you go.
Brady
Kasra,
United did not change their policy. Beards are not permitted, no matter how well trimmed they are. There are no religious exemptions. This is actually a FAA requirement, not an airline one. As such, no US airlines allow beards.
Chris
Ummmm, you do know Hawaii is part of the US right?
Adam
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Well, according to my brother it is a totally different place where life is so different than “the mainland”. I routinely point out that he has a Target around the corner.
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Not to argue with the pros, but I believe Allegiant Air allows beards as well. Even their Pilot hiring page shows pictures of Pilots with Beards…
Stephen,
I think you’re right. Thing is pilots are generally pretty stupid when it comes to things like this.
JetBlue actually allowed “neatly trimmed beards and goatees” for a couple of years. Their pilots only saw the word “beard” and started showing up for work looking like they were auditioning for ZZ Top. The company said “ok children, this is why we can’t have nice things” and no more beards.
I don’t believe you’ll ever see beards at the Legacies because they don’t want to deal with such nonsense.
Adam
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Adam,
Totally understandable. Give 'em an inch and they try to take a mile…
The Air Force has recently become more accepting to beards and it seems like now everyone will go and get a shaving waiver whether they’ve actually got PSB shaving bumps or an actual religious exemption.
Have a great weekend!
Thank you Brady. I hope they change the rules. I saw it in a news article that they changed it and wanted to be sure.
United changed the rules for Flight Attendants, not Pilots.
Chris
I always heard it was due to oxygen masks not making a tight seal with a beard.
I continue to be amazed at the amount of time we spend discussing beards on this forum. I have to admit, I do not get it.
Chris
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You’re telling me!!! 
Hannah
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what about the medical issues after shaving? I cant shave because of my skin…It would not be a good idea, not to be a pilot because of this ?
Wael,
With the exception of Hawaiian and Allegiant, no US airlines permit beards regardless of your reasons for having one. Problem is to get hired at either you’ll need to build time and experience at a Regional and none will allow a beard.
Adam
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Thanks…
Its getting more interesting now… willing to be a student soon here. So, what are the RULES for this kind of job that you think I should know before I take any step forward, please? Lets say what stops me from being a pilot?
Wael,
I suggest you do some research. Here’s a good place to start.
Adam
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Wael,
If you are still asking about beards, I’ll quote you directly from my airlines’ operations manual: “Beards or goatees are not permitted.” That’s it.
Roscoe
Chris, it’s so hard for me to be without a beard. All my life I wanted a beard and when I was around 18 I started to have a full beard. The beard was kind of my identity and it’s so wired for me now that I’m clean-shaven and so weird when I go to the synagogue on Shabbat. The reason people ask is because it’s like how men care about their hair on their head and when they go bald they freak out. Emirates, Al Etihad, Air Canada, El Al, and etc allow beards and have no problem. I hope the US airlines one day allow beards. I heard the Oxygen mask issue was dismissed.