BBC Copyright: BBC Mr Tewolde said the Manchester route targets Africans living in the north of England Image caption: Mr Tewolde said the Manchester route targets Africans living in the north of England

It is difficult to run a successful air carrier in Africa, as forecasts from the International Air Transport Association (Iata) earlier this week show.

It said net profits for airlines across Africa next year are expected to fall by 0.3%, a drop for the fourth consecutive year - and few African airlines are achieving the target of selling roughly six in 10 seats on an aircraft, the number needed in that region to break even.

But one company seems to be bucking this downward trend as the inauguration of a new route for Ethiopian Airlines this week shows.

Ethiopian Airlines’ Dreamliner jet landed at Manchester Airport in UK on Tuesday.

The airline already flies to and from the congested London Heathrow Airport where it couldn’t add additional flights.

Its CEO Tewolde Woldemariam, who was on the inaugural flight to Manchester, told the BBC the secret to its success was that it thrived in niche markets and its ability to compete with other airlines.

In the case of Manchester, it could now target the large African diaspora including Ethiopians and Eritreans in the north of England, he said.

The company, which calls itself the “The New Spirit of Africa”, is wholly state-owned.

But the government does not interfere in its day-to-day running, which allows its experienced staff to manage the business, said Mr Tewolde, who has worked with the airline for 34 years, said.

In his eight years at the helm, he says the airline has increased its fleet and destinations by more than 20%.

Ethiopian Airlines market relatively cheap tickets – and coupled with its connectivity in Africa – it seems to be one of the favoured airlines for those who want to travel to and around the continent.

Many West Africans were travelling out of Manchester on the maiden return flight.