Apache Airflow: Transforming from Stagnation to Over Millions of Downloads

In late 2019, Vikram Koka discovered Apache Airflow while seeking software to orchestrate IoT sensor data. Noticing its stagnation since Airbnb’s initial release as an open-source project in 2015, he dedicated himself to revitalizing it. Koka found Airflow’s concept of “configuration as code,” wherein workflows are designed as directed acyclic graphs in Python, highly appealing. After addressing bugs and improvements, Airflow 2.0 was launched in December 2020, leading to a surge in downloads and adoption. The subsequent release of Airflow 3.0 introduced a modular architecture and the ability to run on various platforms. The community expanded to over 3,000 developers, facilitating collaboration and contributions. Users like Jens Scheffler from Bosch have also engaged significantly with the project. Looking ahead, the team plans features accommodating various programming languages and enhancing AI and machine learning capabilities, positioning Airflow as a foundational tool in the growing IT landscape of AI workloads.

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