Airlines / CX · Grooming
Cathay Pacific — Appearance & Grooming
Polished and corporate rather than theatrical. Cathay expects a groomed, understated look, publishes little of the detail externally, and issues the full standard during training.
Grooming · Cathay Pacific
- Hair
- Neat, secured and off the face, in a natural colour; longer hair is tied back so it stays clear of the collar and of service. Cathay does not publish a list of permitted styles.
- Make-up
- Discreet, natural make-up in line with the uniform. Cathay's public recruitment material sets out no shades or required look — the detail comes in training.
- Facial hair
- Male crew are expected clean-shaven or very closely groomed. No beard allowance is published.
- Nails
- Short, clean and neatly shaped, with clear or muted polish. Extended or decorated nails do not sit with the safety and service standard.
- Glasses & contacts
- Cathay publishes no ban on spectacles — the medical asks for vision corrected to standard. Plain, discreet frames are the safe assumption; heavily tinted or novelty ones are not.
- Piercings
- One pair of small earlobe studs for female crew is the conventional standard. Visible facial, nose and body piercings are not.
- Jewellery
- Discreet only — a watch, a wedding band, small studs, plus the issued wings and name badge.
- Tattoos in uniform
- The requirement is simply that nothing shows in uniform, on the ground or in the air. The uniform's sleeve and collar lines set the boundary, so forearms, wrists, hands and neck are the placements that end an application; upper arm, back and thigh are not.
- Headscarf
- Cathay Pacific does not publish a headscarf policy and the uniform has no standard headscarf piece. Ask the recruitment team directly rather than reading the silence either way.
- Uniform
- The uniform introduced in 2011 pairs charcoal with Cathay's signature red, with rank shown through cut and colour, and is finished with the brushwing badge. Male crew wear a suit and tie.
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
Can you have tattoos as Cathay Pacific cabin crew?
Only tattoos the uniform covers. Nothing may be visible in uniform, which rules out forearms, wrists, hands and neck.
Does Cathay Pacific allow glasses?
Cathay publishes no ban on spectacles, and its medical requirement is corrected vision to standard. Keep frames plain and discreet.
How strict are Cathay Pacific's grooming standards?
Polished but not prescriptive by Asian flag-carrier standards — a grooming review is part of the Hong Kong assessment centre, and private life is policed far less than at the Japanese, Korean or Taiwanese carriers.