In a hangar-like factory on the way to the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne, Alexander Lotersztain is doing the final inspection of a prototype seating system that’s about to be freighted to Texas. The freshly upholstered section is a few metres long, rounded at each end, with modular insets that allow it to create serpentine lines, ad infinitum.

It’s destined for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, where a new $US1.4 billion ($2 billion) terminal is being built. Dallas is the headquarters for American Airlines, which is looking to install furniture designed by Brisbane-based Lotersztain for its home base. “We’ve supplied loose furniture to airports over the years, but this is a custom operation for American Airlines,” he says. If successful, it may lead to rollouts across AA’s North American network.