Farnborough, England-Airlines around the world for the most part are doing well. Even the usually ultra-conservative International Air Transport Association has been making upward revisions to its 1988 industry financial forecasts. Airlines have been in a buying mood in recent months, and orders for new transports have been coming in record numbers.

The fact that airlines are so well satisfied with the current offerings from the engine and airframe manufacturers puts the brakes on most aggressive new product developments. The ability to sell what they've got and not spend megabucks on new developments puts the manufacturers in a good mood. This certainly was the case at this year's Society of British Aerospace Companies' Farnborough air show.

Generally absent were the charges and countercharges between the two biggest U.S. transport builders, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, and their European antagonist, Airbus lndustrie.

In fact, things were so peaceful among the large transport manufacturers at Farnborough that many of the airline and manufacturer senior executives went off to their Conquistadores party in Wyoming after only two days of air show. Many failed to show up at Farnborough at all.

Record sales make for happy air shows. And when it comes to record sales nobody can match what Boeing Commercial Airplanes has been puffing together this year. In the first six months of this year Boeing sold 397 new transports worth $17.7 billion, almost as many as it sold in all of 1987, which was a record financial year (ATW, 9/88, p. 4). By the start of the Farnborough show last month Boeing had amassed an order backlog of 1,116 transports including its de Havilland commuter/ regional transports. Boeing also was able to say its newest aircraft, the 737-400, had been certificated.

Just a few days before the air show Boeing announced that it sold six 737500s to Linjeflyg and that order gave the company 466 firm orders for the year, surpassing its all-time record of 461 for all of 1978. At the show Boeing announced the sale of three additional 757-200 passenger transports to the Guangzhou Regional Administration of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and four 767-300ERs to Gulf Air.

Happy news of transport sales were not limited to Boeing. McDonnell Douglas announced at the show that Alitalia will add up to 27 more M D-BOs, bringing its fleet to 70 transports and McDonnell Douglas' order list to 1,113 for the twinjet, only 523 of which have been delivered.

In addition, Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration signed an agreement during the show to purchase four MD-lls to be operated by China Airlines.

Fokker essentially skipped the show, although its Fokker 100 flew over and touched down during the flying displays. Regardless, Fokker announced that it sold 24 of the new twins to Wardair of Canada.

British Aerospace an nou nced at Farnborough that it has sold 19 more BAe 146s worth over $400 million. Ten of these will be 146-30OQTs for Australia's TNT, and one will be a dash 20OQT for TNT....