Oman Air has appointed a new chief executive after the retirement of its former boss.

Wayne Pearce is an Australian who has held various senior positions at Qantas and has also served as chief strategy and planning officer at Etihad Airways.

He takes over from Peter Hill, who stepped down this month after nearly three and a half years as chief executive of Oman Air.

"We are confident that his experience and expertise will enable the airline to reach even greater heights of excellence and confirm it as one of the leading airlines in the region and beyond," said Darwish bin Ismail bin ali al Bulushi, Oman Air chairman.

Mr Pearce's task will be to ensure the airline can grow market share in a fiercely-competitive region.

He will also seek to help the airline return to profitability. Financial results for last year have not been announced yet but the airline said in August last year the results would be similar to 2010.