Even though tattoos are now much more commonly accepted in the UK and around the world than they were in the past, some industries still don’t like them.
The aviation sector unquestionably takes the top spot on the list.
If you want to work for one of Europe’s well-known low-cost airlines, Ryanair, you should probably give us a couple of minutes while we examine the current Ryanair tattoo policy.
So, are tattoos permitted for Ryanair flight attendants or pilots?
Ryanair Tattoo Policy – All You Need to Know
Unfortunately, Ryanair still has a relatively strict stance on tattoos, making it difficult for those with tattoos to fly with the popular UK budget airline.
Anyone applying for a job at Ryanair is not permitted to have any tattoos that could be seen while donning the company uniform. However, in the case of really small tattoos, you might be allowed to cover them either with a band-aid or make-up (subject to approval from your supervisor).
The airline has specific tattoo placement guidelines for each gender because the uniforms for men and women differ.
The above image shows the slight differences between the restricted areas for male and female crews.
- Men are not allowed to have tattoos on their hands, neck, face, or heads
- Women are not allowed to get tattoos on their hands, lower legs, neck, and face
You’re good to go as long as your tattoos are not in the “banned” areas.
In fact, as long as they can be easily concealed by Ryanair uniform, there is no restriction on the number of tattoos you can have on your body.
Inappropriate tattoos are not welcome
Once the visibility requirements are satisfied, the battle has only been won in part.
Additionally, there must be no offensive language or themes in your tattoos. Therefore, it will be unlawful to have any tattoo that could be interpreted as hostile, racial, sexist, or otherwise discriminatory.
No matter how qualified you are, you will not be able to work for Ryanair if you have any tattoos with such content (and rightly so).
It’s important to note that this rule also holds true for tattoos on “coverable” areas.
Request long sleeves
There is still hope if you have arm or even full-sleeve tattoos.
Employees at Ryanair have a choice of short or long sleeves. Ask if tattoos on your arm are acceptable during the job interview if you’re prepared to wear long sleeves at all times.
This is a possibility if you’re really set on working for the airline, but it’s not at all comfortable, especially in the summer.
Ryanair vs Other Airlines
Ryanair’s restrictions apply to the majority of European airlines as well.
However, most of them don’t even allow covering small tattoos with band-aids or make-up (eg. Easyjet or Wizz Air).
There’s one notable exception, though.
Virgin Atlantic is a great alternative if you have tattoos in locations where Ryanair does not allow them. A new policy change permits the crew of UK carriers to have visible tattoos as long as they are tasteful.
Some American airlines have fewer restrictions if you’re prepared to move to another continent. For instance, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines allow visible tattoos on flight attendants as long as they don’t extend past the size of the uniform badge. Also allowing small tattoos is SkyWest but the airline doesn’t exactly specify the required dimensions.
The top airline in New Zealand, Air New Zealand, also allows crew members with tattoos to be visibly tattooed.
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