Brussels Airlines has added a playful aviation twist to Belgium’s World Cup fever by sending its football-themed Trident aircraft exclusively to Spain in the days leading up to the quarter-final between Belgium and Spain.
From Tuesday until Friday, the special Airbus A320 will operate only on routes between Brussels Airport and Spanish destinations, including Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga and Alicante. The move is intended as a light-hearted provocation ahead of Friday evening’s World Cup quarter-final, when the Red Devils face Spain in Inglewood, California.
The Trident aircraft normally serves several destinations across the airline’s European network. This week, however, Brussels Airlines has chosen to reserve it for Spain, turning routine flights into a symbolic pre-match message.
The aircraft is painted in tribute to Belgium’s national football teams. A first Trident, dedicated only to the men’s Red Devils, operated between 2016 and 2022. It was later replaced by a new version celebrating both the Red Devils and the Red Flames, Belgium’s women’s national team.
The current design features a red fuselage, a darker tail and a graphic combining a trident with a flame, bringing together the visual identities of both teams. According to Brussels Airlines, the aircraft is intended not only to celebrate Belgian football but also to promote equal recognition for women and men in sport.
“At Brussels Airlines we bring people together, and thus also our national teams,” the airline says on its website. “Our Trident’s new design is dedicated to our national pride, both the Belgian Red Devils and the Red Flames.”
The airline adds that it is “high time” the women’s team receives as much attention as the men’s team, using the aircraft as a platform to encourage equal attention for women and men on their path to success.
The gesture comes after Belgium secured its place in the quarter-finals with a convincing 4-1 victory over the United States in Seattle on Monday. Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and provided an assist, while Hans Vanaken and Romelu Lukaku also found the net for the Red Devils.
“We played with mastery, with willingness and with determination,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said after the match. “We showed a great face to the world.”
Belgium will now face Spain on Friday in one of the tournament’s standout quarter-finals. For Brussels Airlines, the build-up has already taken off, with the Trident carrying Belgium’s colours directly into Spanish airspace.
