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Brussels Airlines has revealed its newest Belgian Icon aircraft and it celebrates one of Belgium’s most beloved cultural creations: Tintin. The airline proudly presented its freshly painted Airbus A320 today. It features a design inspired by Hergé’s legendary universe and Tintin’s famous adventures on the Moon and beyond. This marks the second Tintin-themed aircraft in Brussels Airlines’ Belgian Icons collection, a series dedicated to showcasing national heritage through special liveries.
The aircraft’s inaugural commercial flight is scheduled for February 13th, operating from Brussels Airport (BRU) to Milan Linate Airport (LIN).
The new livery was developed in close collaboration with Tintinimaginatio, with multiple creative concepts explored before the Moon and space theme emerged as the clear standout. The chosen design is instantly recognizable, emotionally resonant, and visually powerful. Its connection to aviation through flight, altitude, and exploration made it a natural fit for an aircraft, while the clean aesthetic ensured a refined and balanced final result. The fuselage features Tintin characters floating in weightlessness, creating a dynamic sense of movement and lightness across the aircraft.
One of the most unique elements of the design is that each side of the aircraft tells a different story.
- One side showcases Tintin alongside the Moon
- The other highlights Snowy and Captain Haddock
This approach allows multiple characters to appear without overwhelming the visual layout. A standout detail is the famous moon rocket painted on the belly of the aircraft, giving the impression that the rocket itself will truly take off, fly, and land. The background transitions in a gradient from midnight blue to deep black evoke the atmosphere of outer space.
The Tintin tribute continues inside the cabin where passengers will find subtle and immersive design elements inspired by the adventures in space. The overhead compartments feature sequential visuals arranged like comic-book panels, telling a story of the rocket launching from Earth and the risks of space travel, such as encountering an asteroid.
The cabin also includes Hergé’s handwritten quote:
A force de croire en ses rêves, l’Homme en fait une réalité.”
It means, by believing in his dreams long enough, Man turns them into reality. Passengers will also encounter Tintin, Snowy, and the detectives Thomson and Thompson on bulkheads. The digitally printed carpet by Lantal Textiles offers a subtle reference to the cosmos.
The aircraft painting was completed entirely by Airbourne Colors. It’s a long-standing and trusted partner of Brussels Airlines and known for executing complex special liveries with precision.
Anthony’s Take: I love custom liveries (as I write all the time on this blog). This one is gorgeous and highlight Belgian culture on its journeys around Europe.
(Image Credits: Brussels Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
