Brussels Air paints Tintin cartoon on an Airbus A320

Ben Mutzabaugh | USA TODAY

Brussels Airlines has painted one of its Airbus A320s in a paint scheme "inspired by the Belgian cartoon character Tintin."

The carrier says the jet's look is based on Professor Calculus' shark submarine from the Tintin comic book Red Rackham's Treasure. Brussels Airlines has named the A320 "Rackham," with the side of the aircraft reading: "We fly you to the home of Tintin."

The special livery took 1,500 worker hours to paint and will remain in the airline's fleet through 2019, according to Brussels Air.

"I was personally brought up with the comic albums of Tintin, I learned to read with them," Brussels Airlines CEO Bernard Gustin says in a statement. "This partnership means a lot to Brussels Airlines. Tintin is a frequent traveler, discovered countries around the world and met people of different nationalities and cultures during his adventures."

Enthusiasts hoping to catch a glimpse of the aircraft can follow the plane's whereabouts on Brussels Airlines' website.