The new Belgian Icon will be a tribute to the Atomium: when Brussels Airlines' new livery will fly

Brussels Airlines, the national airline of Belgium, has accustomed its passengers well in terms of special liveries: for the past few years, in fact, several aircraft have been painted the "Belgian Icon", that is, special livery with which the carrier pays tribute to the Belgian culture and takes the latter around Europe.

A couple of months ago Brussels Airlines launched a contest to create the new Belgian Icon: anyone who was at least 16 years old and lived in Belgium (or held the country's citizenship) could participate. The deadline for submitting designs was Sept. 27, while last Nov. 4-after a public vote-an external jury of 10 members (which included the CEO and marketing manager of Brussels) decreed the winner: it is about Thomas Fakes, 44-year-old architect, whose project for the new Belgian Icon is dedicated to the Atomium, one of the symbols of the city of Brussels and Belgium.

"For me, the Atomium is the symbol that represents Belgium. [...] The brightness and mirror effect of the spheres allow everyone to see something different in it. As an architect, I tried to translate what I perceived with the naked eye into a more technical design," commented Thomas Fakes.

The winner will, therefore, have to work with the company not only to turn their design into a livery, but also to create a special design inside the aircraft. The final result, Brussels Airlines announces, will be presented to the public in the spring of 2025.

Currently they are 3 Belgian icons in service: "Rackham", introduced in 2015, pays homage to the famous Belgian comic strip "The Adventures of Tintin"; there is, then, the livery "Trident" dedicated to the Belgian national (men's and women's) soccer team; finally, the latest to be unveiled is "Loving" to celebrate the Tomorrowland festival. 

• Special livery