Brussels Airlines was created following the merger of SN Brussels Airlines (SNBA) and Virgin Express, on the 12 April 2005. SN Brussels Airlines was subsequently created after the bankruptcy of Belgium's legacy national carrier Sabena. (created in 1923). A group of investors managed to take over Delta Air Transport, one of Sabena's subsidiaries, and transformed it into SN Brussels Airlines. 

To read more about Sabena and the history behind Brussels Airlines click the former logo below.  

On 12 April 2005, SN Airholding, the company behind SNBA, signed an agreement with Richard Branson, giving it control over Virgin Express. On 31 March 2006 SNBA and Virgin Express announced their merger into a single company. On 7 November 2006, the new name, Brussels Airlines, was announced and began operations on 25 March 2007. The initial fleet of aircraft included those operated by SN Brussels (former Sabena planes) A330, Bae 146-100/200, Avro RJ's and Virgin Express Boeing 737’s.

However the new venture was seeking more support, and on 15 September 2008, Lufthansa acquired a 45% stake in Brussels Airlines with an option to acquire the remaining 55% from 2011. As a part of this deal, Brussels Airlines would join Star Alliance. Since 25 October 2009, Brussels Airlines was integrated into Lufthansa's frequent flyer programme Miles & More. On 9 December 2009, Brussels Airlines became the 26th Star Alliance member during a ceremony at Brussels Town Hall. On 5 July 2010, a fifth Airbus A330-300 entered into service. 

Brussels Airlines increased its frequency to Abidjan and added Accra, Cotonou, Ouagadougou, and Lomé as new destinations. New airbus A319 were incorporated into the fleet from April 2010. Brussels Airlines also announced that it would lease 2 Airbus A320 aircraft from January 2011 and operate the Airbus A330-200. On 1 June 2012, Brussels Airlines inaugurated the route to New York JFK, operating daily with an Airbus A330-300 fitted with the new interior. This is the first Belgian airline in 10 years to fly to New York, after the collapse of Sabena. 

Since 18 June 2013 the airline also flew 5 times a week to Washington Dulles. Also in April 2016 On 30 January 2014, Brussels Airlines launched the most important expansion in its history, with nine confirmed seasonal destinations and a return to the Polish market after some years of absence. It also confirmed the permanent exit of its Avro RJ100 fleet by 2016. 

Unfortunately, plans saw a halt when on 22 March 2016, members of the terrorist organization ISIL detonated two bombs in Brussels Airport, closing the airport for a week. Brussels Airlines shifted some long haul flights to Zurich and Frankfurt and began Airbus A319/Avro RJ100 shuttle service between Liege/Antwerp and Zurich/Frankfurt, as well as providing contracted bus services from Brussels to Antwerp and Liege from where it served European destinations. 

On 28 September 2016, Lufthansa announced that the airline would exercise the option to acquire the remaining 55% of Brussels Airlines' parent company SN Airholding. This was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017. In March 2017, Thomas Cook announced its intention to sell its Belgian flight operations. Brussels Airlines' showed its interest to take over this subsidiary airline of Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, which was subsequently shut down by November. Brussels Airlines integrated two aircraft and all traffic rights, also taking on the 160 Thomas Cook Airlines crew members. 

Toronto Pearson was added to the North-American network and Mumbai from March 2017 with new Airbus A330-200. During 2017 the airline operated briefly 5 Sukhoi Superjet 100, but with problems related to the type and a longer maintenance support time, the type was withdrawn in January 2019.  Apart from its own fleet, as of January 2019, Brussels Airlines also wet leased 4 Bombardier CRJ1000s operated by Air Nostrum.

History source:Wikipedia.org + airfleets.net