Qatar Airways is ordering new airplanes in June and plans to add an average of seven routes a year for the next five years despite the slowdown in the global market. Qatar also plans to double its current coverage of US cities from three to six, and begin its first South American destination next year. Qatar is the second largest Arab nation carrier. The airline’s chief executive said the current economic situation is not a crisis but an “economic downturn we will weather” saying “we are very clever about these opportunities”. He explained for example that Qatar is starting new services in Goa and Amritsar in India and these markets have potential but have not been noticed by other carriers.