Air Malta is set to launch a brand new plane this weekend, but it will come with a strange twist – a livery of SpongeBob Squarepants and other Nickelodeon cartoon characters.

Lovin Malta is publishing a leaked photo of the NEO Airbus, which is currently parked at Ireland’s Shannon Airport ahead of its maiden journey to Malta this weekend.

Besides SpongeBob, the plane also includes pictures of one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a dog from Paw Patrol and Nella the Princess Knight.

An Air Malta spokesperson refused to comment but a formal announcement is expected in the coming days.

The new plane’s livery could well be related to today’s announcement that Nickelodeon will host a treasure hunt in Malta next April.

Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]