Editor’s Note: AirlineGeeks is proud to present our ‘Livery of the Week’ series. Every Friday, a team member will share an airline livery, which can be from the past, present, or even a special scheme. Some airline liveries are works of art. The complexity associated with painting around critical flight components and the added weight requires outside-the-box thinking from designers. The average airliner can cost upwards of $200,000 to repaint, creating a separate aircraft repainting industry as a result.
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In 2015, Brussels Airlines, the Belgian flag carrier fully owned by Lufthansa, decided to start a series of special liveries for its aircraft called the “Belgian Icons” to celebrate the symbols of Belgium known all over the world and “make flying even more fun.”
In March 2025, ten years later, the airline presented to the world the latest addition to the collection: Atomium.
Atomium: The Symbol of Brussels
An Airbus A320 aircraft has been repainted with a special livery to celebrate the Atomium, the architectural landmark that symbolizes the city of Brussels and was the centerpiece of the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. It was built to showcase “the spirit of progress and international collaboration. Today, it stands as an enduring symbol of Belgium’s creativity and forward-thinking vision,” the carrier explains on its website.
In August 2024, Brussels Airlines launched an open contest to invite every citizen and resident of Belgium to propose a design “to capture the essence of the country,” the airline stated in its press release. Nine-hundred entries were submitted for consideration, a shortlist of 15 options were presented to a public vote that chose the five finalists, and a distinguished jury of prominent Belgian artists chose as the winning design the work of Belgian architect Thomas Faes.
“His vision encapsulated the iconic building’s historical significance and timeless appeal. Even as a child, Thomas was fascinated by the structure, an admiration that inspired his technical design approach.”
The painting process took approximately 2,400 hours and required around 400 liters of paint.
The first flight performed by the aircraft in the new livery was SN2809, departing Brussel’s Zavantem Airport on Thursday, March 27 at 9.25 a.m. destined for Prague, Czech Republic.
The Airbus A320 with registration OO-SNM was originally delivered in May 2003 to defunct U.K. carrier and tour operator MyTravel Airways leased from GECAS. It became part of Brussel’s fleet in April 2018 following a brief period of storage and is configured in a one-class layout with 180 economy class seats.
The Belgian Icons Series
There are currently three other special liveries in Brussel Airlines’ fleet as part of the “Belgian Icons” series: Rackham was introduced in 2015 as a tributed to the famous Belgian comic Tintin; Trident was launched in November 2022 as homage to the Belgian male and female national soccer teams; and Amare was unveiled in April 2024 to celebrate the music festival Tomorrowland.
Three more special liveries had been showcased by Brussel’s aircraft in the past: Magritte, in tribute to Belgian surrealistic painter René Magritte; Aerosmurf to celebrate Peyo’s famous blue fictional characters The Smurfs; and Flemish Painter Bruegel de Elder.
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