Does British Airways prevent me from training to become a pilot if I am a Muslim who has a beard for religious reasons?

Hi Nazaqat.

Having a beard does not prevent you from being a pilot with British Airways. There are some safety regulations regarding beards that ensure the seal on a smoke hood is fitted properly. This is for the safety of both the individual and everyone on the aircraft.

Could you please provide me the safety regulations regarding beards? If the smoke hood is an obstruction, could British Airways please make some changes to those smoke hoods so they are suitable for men with beards? Thanks

Thank you for your question. Our uniform policy states that beards should be no longer than 1.5cm where the neck seal fits, with the neck clean-shaven, to ensure a proper seal. We have successfully accommodated many colleagues with beards from various religious and cultural backgrounds and will work with you during training to ensure you’re comfortable while meeting safety requirements.

The smoke hoods we use are designed by certified manufacturers to ensure safety, including a secure neck seal to prevent smoke or toxins from entering. Because of this, we cannot modify them as they are industry-standard and fit specific storage on our aircraft.

We encourage you to apply and are happy to discuss any further concerns.

Thank you for your reply. Is it possible to try on a smoke hood before starting training, so during some kind of open day. Whilst it's good to know others with beards have not found this to be a barrier, it would give me reassurance before committing to any training. Thank you

Hello Nazaqat, thank you for your patience and understanding. When a candidate is successful for a role on the Speedbird Pilot Academy or the self sponsored route, we would accommodate them trying on a smoke hood at that point. I hope that helps, many thanks.

That's brilliant. Thank you so much. :)