Brussels Airlines Reveals New Belgian Icon Aircraft

Brussels Airlines has unveiled the newest aircraft in its popular “Belgian Icons” special-livery series, continuing its tradition of celebrating Belgian culture and heritage through distinctive aircraft designs. The latest addition is an Airbus A320 registered OO-SNJ, painted in a striking Tintin-inspired scheme that aviation enthusiasts are already eager to spot across Europe.

The aircraft made its debut at a dedicated reveal event and is scheduled to enter commercial service almost immediately, with its first flight planned to Milan Linate, ensuring early opportunities for enthusiasts to catch the jet in action.

A Tintin Tribute Takes Flight

The new livery honours one of Belgium’s most internationally recognised cultural exports — Tintin, the comic character created by Hergé. The design focuses particularly on the famous Tintin moon adventures, blending aviation imagery with space exploration themes that translate strikingly onto the aircraft’s fuselage.

The aircraft features:

• A deep blue-to-black space-inspired colour scheme

• Characters such as Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock

• A distinctive rocket motif on the belly of the aircraft

Notably, the two sides of the aircraft are different, allowing multiple characters to be featured without overwhelming the overall design.

Part of a Growing “Belgian Icons” Fleet

The Brussels Airlines Atomium livery

Brussels Airlines’ Belgian Icons series is designed to showcase elements of national identity around the world. The airline has previously featured themes including:

• The Belgian national football teams

• Tomorrowland music festival

• The Atomium landmark

• Earlier Tintin-inspired liveries

The concept aims to bring “the best of Belgium to the world” while also creating aircraft that stand out visually and generate public engagement.

These aircraft have become particularly popular with aviation photographers, often drawing attention wherever they appear.

A Treat for Aviation Enthusiasts

Special-livery aircraft consistently rank among the most sought-after targets for plane spotters, and this new Belgian Icon is likely to be no exception. With the aircraft entering short-haul European service, sightings should quickly spread across the airline’s network from its Brussels hub.

Because the aircraft is part of the regular fleet rather than a static promotional piece, it will rotate across routes — meaning enthusiasts will need to keep an eye on schedules and tracking apps to catch it.