India appointed Ajit Singh its new civil aviation minister as the country’s troubled aviation sector prepares to enter 2012 under the weight of mounting debt and losses. The 72-year-old from the northern state of Uttar Pradesh will be the third person to hold the portfolio in less than a year. He succeeds Vayalar Ravi, who had taken over the Civil Aviation Ministry from Praful Patel, who had held the post for six years.

NEW DELHI — Pratt & Whitney has received a contract to produce the first four F117-PW-100 engines that will power the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III for the Indian air force. “The engines will be delivered in second quarter of 2012,” a Pratt official says. No financial details were given by the company, a unit of United Technologies Corp. India will take delivery of its first C-17s in early 2013. Earlier this year, India’s defense ministry signed a letter of offer and acceptance with the U.S. government to acquire 10 C-17s.

Amid mounting financial problems and reports that it has grounded 15 aircraft, Kingfisher Monday said it would join the Oneworld alliance in February, making it the first airline from the Indian subcontinent to join one of the global airline alliances. “It will strengthen us financially, through revenues from passengers transferring to our network from our Oneworld partners and the cost-reduction opportunities the alliance offers,” said Chairman Vijay Mallya.