CHICAGO, July 19 (UPI) -- United Airlines says it has hired an executive with a track record of sprucing up the tired look of Delta Airlines' worn airliner interiors.

United, based in Chicago, has hired Timothy Canavan to fill the newly created role of vice president of maintenance and aircraft appearance, the Chicago Tribune reported Saturday. In that position he'll report to another former Delta exec, Joe Kolshak, who joined United last month as senior vice president of operations.

The newspaper said Canavan's 22-year career at Delta included an initiative to clean up the passenger compartments of its airline fleet, whose griminess had generated passenger complaints.