Etihad engineering launches an in-house production facility to care to the continuous demand for face masks in the Aviation industry

Etihad Engineering, the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) arm of Etihad Aviation Group, has accepted an order for 1.3 million facemasks to be manufactured at its newly established in-house face mask production facility.

Over the next three months, the medical face masks will be distributed to staff across the entire Etihad Aviation Group from cabin and ground crew, to catering, cargo, engineering employees, and medical professionals.

The new facility operates fully automated cutting-edge machines that produce up to 20,000 masks daily. The masks are three layered and provide up to 98% filtration which ensures the highest levels of protection and safety.

Before initiating mass production, prototypes of the mask underwent a series of stringent tests where microbial cleanliness and bacterial filtration efficiency levels were thoroughly examined. After the successful completion of the testing phase, the face masks were medically certified by two certifying bodies, Laboratorio Analisi Tecnal (Italy) and CNTAC (China).

Haytham Nasir, Vice President Airframe Services, Etihad Engineering said: “Since the start of the pandemic, we witnessed consistent demand for face masks at the workplace. With the safety, health and wellbeing of our customers and employees our paramount concern and top priority, we saw an opportunity to be self-sufficient. To provide the highest level of protection, this new facility not only meets our internal demands but we can also mass produce for third-party customers, partners, and suppliers”.

The machine has nose and earlobe welding capabilities to design masks that provide full facial coverage to ensure daily protection for anyone wearing it. A heat stamp feature also prints logos on the face mask, making it customisable for any organisation. Masks can be produced in a variety of colours.