A method of making a laryngeal airway of the type that includes a respiratory tube and an inflatable positioning shield having a base and an inflatable, hollow peripheral portion is described herein. The method includes introducing at least one molding material onto internal walls of a mold, wherein the mold has a cavity defined by internal walls that conform to the external wall of the laryngeal airway, and wherein only a sufficient amount of the molding material is introduced onto the internal walls of the mold that is necessary to create external walls of the laryngeal airway having a desired thickness and allowing the molding material to cure about the internal walls, thereby forming laryngeal mask.