Airlines / EI · Grooming
Aer Lingus — Appearance & Grooming
Aer Lingus tightened its tattoo and piercing rule while relaxing its make-up rule: the grooming guidelines issued with the Louise Kennedy uniform do not require make-up, but nothing may be visible in uniform that the standard excludes. The balance is modern in presentation, conservative on ink.
Grooming · Aer Lingus
- Hair
- Neat, off the collar and in a natural colour, styled to hold across a European morning and a transatlantic afternoon in the same week. Aer Lingus does not publish a list of permitted styles.
- Make-up
- Optional. When the current uniform was introduced, the airline confirmed that its grooming guidelines do not include mandatory make-up, dropping a requirement that had applied to female crew for decades.
- Facial hair
- Aer Lingus does not publish a beard rule. Neatly maintained facial hair is normal at Irish and UK carriers, but confirm at the Dublin assessment day, where the standard is applied in practice.
- Nails
- Clean, short and discreet, with no published shade or length limits. The airline's relaxation of make-up did not come with a prescribed nail palette in either direction.
- Glasses & contacts
- Prescription glasses are accepted with conventional frames and no published restriction. A spare pair is worth carrying on the A330 and A321LR transatlantic patterns.
- Piercings
- This is where Aer Lingus is strict: no piercings may be visible in uniform, which is a firmer line than several of its UK rivals now hold. Plan on removing anything beyond conventional small earrings for duty.
- Jewellery
- Plain and professional. Nothing decorative or oversized, in keeping with a standard that treats visible body art and piercings as out of scope.
- Tattoos in uniform
- No tattoos, piercings or body art may be visible in uniform, and a small tattoo must be coverable in every uniform variant — not just the one you happen to be wearing, which is a stricter test than most carriers apply. Hand, neck and face designs are disqualifying outright.
- Headscarf
- Aer Lingus does not publish a headscarf option for cabin crew as a named uniform item. Ask recruitment during the annual campaign rather than assuming a position.
- Uniform
- Louise Kennedy's design, introduced in 2020 in Kenmare green and petrol blue with the shamrock, replacing a look that had run for years. It is issued during the six-week paid training course at the Aer Lingus academy.
Grooming rules change more often than any other requirement. Verify them on the airline's official careers page before you buy anything or book a hair appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Do Aer Lingus cabin crew have to wear make-up?
No. The grooming guidelines issued with the current Louise Kennedy uniform do not include mandatory make-up, ending a long-standing requirement for female crew.
Can Aer Lingus cabin crew have visible tattoos or piercings?
No. Neither tattoos, piercings nor other body art may be visible in uniform, and a tattoo has to be coverable in every uniform variant rather than just one. Hand, neck and face designs are disqualifying.
What is the Aer Lingus cabin crew uniform?
A Louise Kennedy design introduced in 2020 in Kenmare green and petrol blue, carrying the shamrock, issued during the six-week paid training course at the airline's Dublin academy.