In photos: Brussels Airlines unveils 2nd Tintin special livery on Airbus A320
February 12, 2026
Brussels Airlines unveiled its 5th special livery on one of its Airbus A320 aircraft at an event today at its hub in Belgium. The new Tintin livery is part of its Belgian Icon series of aircraft that feature paint schemes that reflect the country’s culture.
The event on Thursday was preceded by teasers published on the carrier’s social media pages. This included a video showing astronauts and the text “Moon”. The newest design will eventually replace the carrier’s existing Tintin liveried aircraft, one of the most photographed planes in the world, which will be retired in 2027.
This is the latest livery revealed by the company since the Atomium theme last year on another Airbus A320, which followed a design competition open to Belgian citizens and residents.
Brussels Airlines’ new Tintin livery aircraft
The new livery on OO-SNJ is expected to replace the older Tintin livery known as Rackham, currently featured on OO-SNB, a 25-year-old A320 that first received the scheme in 2015. It was repainted in 2021 after the partnership between Tintinimaginatio and Brussels Airlines was extended for a period of five years.
Each side is different. One features Tintin and the moon, while the other shows characters Snowy and Captain Haddock. The underside of the fuselage depicts the iconic moon-rocket from Tintin. The aircraft fuselage overall is a dark gradient of blue.
New liveries are typically revealed by the company around this time. Brussels Airlines spokesperson Nico Cardone told Aerospace Global News that during the off-peak fourth and first quarters, capacity is freed up to take aircraft out of service for repainting and maintenance.
OO-SNJ was also the last narrowbody A320 that required repainting into the carrier’s new livery. As such, the company took the opportunity to give it a shiny new Tintin livery. Cardone adds that this explains why it is not on one of its new A320neo aircraft, but rather on an older-generation A320ceo.
Brussels Airlines A320 was painted in the UK
The latest Belgian Icon was painted at a facility in Teesside, England, by Airborne Colours. The company was also contracted to paint some of the company’s other planes, including the Airbus A320neo Amare livery that was revealed in 2024.
The new Gravity A320 was sent to the United Kingdom on 29 January and returned to Brussels in the evening on 11 February in advance of the unveiling event for press and employees on Thursday.
The A320 in question, registered OO-SNJ, is nearly 19 years old, and previously flew for a handful of Italian carriers before joining Brussels Airlines. It began its life with Volareweb in 2007, transitioning to Air One a couple of years later.
It then joined Alitalia in 2014 before moving to its current position with Brussels Airlines in 2018.
Brussels Airlines’ other special liveries
Brussels Airlines has four other liveries currently in service, and has had 10 across its history. The Belgian Icons were first introduced in 2015.
Over the last decade, the carrier has had a variety of special liveries representing the Red Devils football team, the Smurfs and Tintin cartoons, the Tomorrowland music festival, the Atomium, as well as painters René Magritte and Pieter Bruegel (famous Belgian painters).
The special livery aircraft currently in service are listed below.
| Name | Aircraft (age) | Initial unveiling of the livery |
|---|---|---|
| Red Devils | OO-SNO (17 years) | 2016 |
| Tomorrowland | OO-SBB (2 years) | 2017 |
| Atomium | OO-SNM (23 years) | 2024 |
| Tintin | OO-SNB (25 years) | 2015 |
| Tintin Gravity | OO-SNJ (19 years) | 2026 |
The Bruegel, Aerosmurf and Magritte liveries were retired within the last few years.
The first commercial flight for the new OO-SNJ is currently scheduled to be to Milan Linate on 13 February, according to FlightRadar24, turning an otherwise unlucky day into a rather lucky one for those onboard.
Featured image: Brussels Airlines
