A China Eastern Airlines plane carrying 141 passengers and crew slid off the runway at Hong Kong International Airport on Wednesday as torrential downpours lashed the city, triggering the first black rainstorm warning signal of the year. Heavy rain flooded roads, felled trees, disrupted traffic and forced schools to close, while about 700 flights to and from the city were delayed or cancelled. The Observatory said three warnings were issued within about eight hours, as more than 100m of rainfall was recorded in most parts of the city. At 6.40am, the amber rainstorm warning signal was issued. This was upgraded to red at 9.15am and to black, the highest level, at 11.30am. All the signals were lowered at 3pm as the rain eased off. The Airport Authority said flight MU765 from Nanjing had landed and was taxiing on the north runway at around 10.50am when it veered off the tarmac and came to a halt on the grassy side. “It eventually stopped with its nose wheel and the right-hand main landing gear rested on the grass area,”the Civil Aviation Department said, adding that it was being investigated as a “serious incident”. The north runway was forced to close for nearly two hours, delaying take-offs and landings until it was reopened at 12.40pm after the A321 aircraft was towed away.<br/>
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Garuda Indonesia launched Tuesday a new, direct route from Denpasar to Chengdu, China. The move is part of Garuda Indonesia’s strategy to expand its Chinese market, said Garuda commercial and IT director Nina Sulistyowati. Some 100m Chinese travelers visit various parts of the world each year, making the country a vital international market for the airline, she added. “We are optimistic that through Chengdu's market potential, Garuda Indonesia can continue to maximize the international market […] in supporting the company’s business expansion efforts,” she said. The route will serve four flights per week from Denpasar to Chengdu, scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Meanwhile, flights from Chengdu to Denpasar will depart every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. All flights will use Airbus A330-300 planes, each of which has a total capacity of 24 business seats and 263 economy seats.<br/>