The Barbone could never become a pilot (in Australia). Qantas tightens its policy: beards banned in cabin for safety reasons

Beard yes, beard no. There are those who adore it and would never dream of cutting it off, and those who just can't stand it; there are those who consider it unseemly and those, even, dangerous. The Australian airline Qantas ended up at the center of a debate-very heated, ça va sans dire-after announcing plans to extend the ban on pilots growing beards, including regional carrier personnel QantasLink.

The reason? Qantas claims that in case of emergency, the presence of facial hair may impair the effectiveness of oxygen masks, preventing a perfect fit to the face.

The Australian carrier's decision is based on a report prepared by QinetiQ, a British company specializing in aviation and military safety, which says the beard could cause oxygen loss in critical situations-for example, during a fire start or sudden decompression in flight.

At Barbone, aka Matteo Rainisio, ears must surely be ringing: he, with his beard as long as it is bushy, could definitely not be a pilot-at least not with Qantas.

What science says

At this point, however, the question arises: What does science say about this? Several recent studies disprove concerns raised by the Australian company.

In 2014, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University conducted an extensive test, involving both shaved and bearded pilots (short and long) and exposing them to realistic simulations of emergency at altitude. The results speak for themselves: beards caused no delay in donning masks, nor did oxygen loss or smoke inhalation occur. Not only that: a Canadian study dating back to 2016, conducted by Simon Fraser University on behalf of Air Canada, had already shown that the new generation masks remain effective even with beards up to 12 millimeters.

The reaction of pilots and trade associations

Needless to say, this tightening of the beard has met. Strong resistance among Qantas and Jetstar pilots (low-cost carrier controlled by QF, ed.). L'Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) has defined the measure "inconsistent with modern business practices", pointing out that other partner airlines such as British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines and Emirates allow their pilots to wear beards.

AIPA also denounces an internal double standard: while flight attendants have been granted more aesthetic freedom (e.g., no requirement for makeup or heels), pilots continue to be imposed a very rigid regulation with no scientific basis.

Airlines banning beards

Despite what you might think, Qantas is not the only carrier in the world with such a stringent beard policy. Delta, United, and American Airlines-just to name a few-also prohibit those in the cockpit from growing beards. At this point it is worth specifying that the FAA, the U.S. Flight Safety Authority, does not officially ban beards, is limited rather to suggesting that. could Compromise the tightness of the masks, But without providing concrete data.

In Italy, however? ITA Airways - as we had recounted years ago in these pages - allows pilots to grow a beard, as long as it is groomed and shaved daily and that does not exceed 5mm in length; however, in this case, the focus is on decorum, not safety.

In conclusion

There is little to go around: the Cockpit beard debate is far from closed. On the one hand, companies like Qantas are calling for caution; on the other, the most recent scientific evidence suggest that the presence of beard does not compromise flight safety.