Investigators looking into the crash of a China Eastern Airlines jet are examining whether it was due to intentional action on the flight deck, with no evidence found of a technical malfunction, two people briefed on the matter said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Tuesday that flight data from one of the Boeing 737-800's black boxes indicated that someone in the cockpit intentionally crashed the plane, citing people familiar with the preliminary assessment of US officials. Boeing and the US NTSB declined to comment and referred questions to Chinese regulators. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which is leading the investigation, did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The Boeing 737-800, en route from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed on March 21 in the mountains of the Guangxi region, after a sudden plunge from cruising altitude, killing all 123 passengers and nine crew members aboard. It was mainland China's deadliest aviation disaster in 28 years. The pilots did not respond to repeated calls from air traffic controllers and nearby planes during the rapid descent, authorities have said. One source told Reuters investigators were looking at whether the crash was a "voluntary" act. Screenshots of the Wall Street Journal story appeared to be censored both on China's Weibo social media platform and the Wechat messaging app on Wednesday. The hashtag topics "China Eastern" and "China Eastern black boxes" are banned on Weibo, which cited a breach of laws, and users are unable to share posts on the incident in group chats on Wechat.<br/>
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A China Southern Airlines spokesperson said on Tuesday the delivery timetable for Boeing 737 Max jets was not confirmed, after the company’s chairman last week gave investors fleet plans through 2024 that did not include the Max. Rivals China Eastern and Air China have refrained recently from providing a timetable but China Southern had done so in its annual report released in late March. It predicted 39 Max jets would be delivered this year, 37 next year and 27 in 2024. China Southern Chairman Ma Xulun told investors in a presentation last week that excluding the Max, the airline is expected to take the delivery of 30 aircraft in 2022, 36 next year and 12 in 2024, in line with the figures in the annual report. Bloomberg, based on Ma’s comments, reported on Monday that the airline, Boeing’s biggest Chinese customer, has removed more than 100 of the Max jets from its fleet plans. China’s domestic air traffic has plunged due to lockdowns in Shanghai and surrounding cities. Shanghai-based China Eastern said passenger numbers collapsed 90.7% in April year on year, while Shanghai International Airport saw passenger numbers down 98.9% in the same period. Boeing CFO Brian West said last week that Chinese airlines had conducted operational readiness flights and trained pilots in preparation for Max deliveries before Covid-19 outbreaks led to a plunge in air traffic. “So they were showing every indication that they want to get these back in the air,” he said. “When it becomes more clear on what’s happening with Covid protocols and restrictions, we expect that to just continue and then get the return to service and then we’ll (be) allowed to deliver.”<br/>