Brussels Airlines recently revealed what it calls “the most complex plane livery in the world.” The work of Flemish painter Bruegel the Elder inspired the design. VISITFLANDERS and BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts assisted with the project, the latter acting as curatorial advisory. Brussels Airlines commissioned two contemporary Belgian artists, Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys, to hand paint the aircraft.

The Airbus A320 aircraft fuselage features two designs, one on either side. The livery was hand painted over the course of 19 days and depicts the Belgian landscape.

“Brussels Airlines continues to be an ambassador for Belgium. This sixth iconic aircraft showcases the rich art history of Belgium and we are extremely proud of the beautiful flying piece of art we were able to create together with the support of VISITFLANDERS and with the artistic expertise of BOZAR. The Hi Belgium Pass, which is a big success since we launched it in 2017, builds further on this ambassadorship and continues to attract many tourists to our beautiful country, now also with a Flemish Masters experience,” said Christina Foerster, CEO, Brussels Airlines.

The Hi Belgium Pass allows travelers to fly from 48 European cities to Brussels, take unlimited train rides within the country and visit cultural attractions for free, including Flemish Masters exhibitions. Additionally, upon arrival in Brussels Airport, international travelers are greeted by a new art installation by VISITFLANDERS.

“The new state-of-the-art animation brings the iconic figures from Bruegel’s paintings to life in a unique way and is part of a long-term experience project at the airport. In three years’ time, 75 million travelers will be captivated by our Flemish Masters and by our other tourist assets such as our gastronomy and cycling. In addition, one million passengers will travel from or to Brussels Airport in the next five years on board…a flying Flemish Master. That is another million people who become ambassadors of our Flemish Masters and, by extension, of our tourist destination. Add to that the millions of people who will see or share images of this beautiful plane via social media,” commented Peter De Wilde, CEO, VISITFLANDERS.