Delays offer a respite to the carrier which like rivals faces cash pressures and a slump in demand Airbus and Boeing paused production last month to adjust to lockdowns PARIS: Planemakers Airbus and Boeing have asked Air France to delay taking some wide-body jets after a slowdown in manufacturing caused by the coronavirus crisis, the head of parent Air France-KLM said. “We have some A350s for the end of the year that will be pushed into next year and then we have some A350s for next year that will be pushed into the year after,” chief executive Ben Smith said, adding this was at manufacturer Airbus’s request. Air France has also been notified by Boeing that a 787 due to arrive in June will no longer meet that target, he said. The delays, at a time when many airlines are themselves requesting postponements, offer a respite to the carrier which like rivals faces cash pressures and a slump in demand. “These are nice domino impacts on us and we are going to continue to negotiate to ensure we have the right mix to match our liquidity and our assumptions going forward,” Smith said. Airbus and Boeing paused production last month to adjust to lockdowns and are cutting future output due to lower demand.