**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**SECTION 302CERTIFICATION**

 

I,Amin J. Khoury, certify that:

 

1.               I have reviewedthis quarterly report on Form 10-K of Applied Extrusion Technologies, Inc. (the“Registrant”);

 

2.               Based on myknowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material factor omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, inlight of the circumstances under which such statements were made, notmisleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.               Based on myknowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information includedin this report, fairly present in all material respects the financialcondition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, andfor, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.               The Registrant’sother certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing andmaintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange ActRules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Registrant and have:

 

(a)          Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, orcaused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under oursupervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant,including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others withinthose entities, particularly during the period in which this report is beingprepared;

 

(b)         Evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant’sdisclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusionsabout the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of theend of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(c)          Disclosed in this report any change in theRegistrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during theRegistrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the Registrant’s fourth fiscal quarterin the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonablylikely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financialreporting; and

 

5.               The Registrant’sother certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recentevaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the Registrant’sauditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s board of directors (orpersons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a)          All significant deficiencies and material weaknessesin the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting whichare reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant’s ability to record,process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

(b)         Any fraud, whether or not material, that involvesmanagement or other employees who have a significant role in the Registrant’sinternal control over financial reporting.

 

 
| Date: February 1, 2005 |                         |
|------------------------|------------------------------|
|                   |                         |
|                   | /s/ Amin J.  Khoury          |
|                   | Amin J. Khoury               |
|                   | Chairman of the  Board       |
|                   | and Chief Executive  Officer |