What is Airflow Mcp Server

airflow-mcp-server is a Model Context Protocol server designed for controlling Apache Airflow through its APIs. It provides a structured way to interact with Airflow, enabling users to manage workflows effectively.

Use cases

Common use cases for airflow-mcp-server include managing Airflow workflows in a controlled environment, integrating with other systems via APIs, and providing read-only access for monitoring purposes.

How to use

To use airflow-mcp-server, set it up with the required environment variables such as AIRFLOW_BASE_URL, AUTH_TOKEN or COOKIE for authentication. You can run the server in either safe mode (read-only) or unsafe mode (read and write) by using the respective command line arguments.

Key features

Key features of airflow-mcp-server include support for both safe and unsafe operation modes, flexible authentication methods (Basic Auth and Cookie-based), and the ability to parse OpenAPI specifications for enhanced API interaction.

Where to use

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airflow-mcp-server: An MCP Server for controlling Airflow

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Overview

A Model Context Protocol server for controlling Airflow via Airflow APIs.

Demo Video

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f3e60fff-8680-4dd9-b08e-fa7db655a705

Setup

Usage with Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "airflow-mcp-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "airflow-mcp-server",
        "--base-url",
        "http://localhost:8080",
        "--auth-token",
        "<jwt_token>"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Note:

• Set base_url to the root Airflow URL (e.g., http://localhost:8080).
• Do not include /api/v2 in the base URL. The server will automatically fetch the OpenAPI spec from ${base_url}/openapi.json.
• Only JWT token is required for authentication. Cookie and basic auth are no longer supported in Airflow 3.0.

Operation Modes

The server supports two operation modes:

• Safe Mode (--safe): Only allows read-only operations (GET requests). This is useful when you want to prevent any modifications to your Airflow instance.
• Unsafe Mode (--unsafe): Allows all operations including modifications. This is the default mode.

To start in safe mode:

airflow-mcp-server --safe

To explicitly start in unsafe mode (though this is default):

airflow-mcp-server --unsafe

Tool Discovery Modes

The server supports two tool discovery approaches:

• Hierarchical Discovery (default): Tools are organized by categories (DAGs, Tasks, Connections, etc.). Browse categories first, then select specific tools. More manageable for large APIs.
• Static Tools (--static-tools): All tools available immediately. Better for programmatic access but can be overwhelming.

To use static tools:

airflow-mcp-server --static-tools

Considerations

Authentication

• Only JWT authentication is supported in Airflow 3.0. You must provide a valid AUTH_TOKEN.

Page Limit

The default is 100 items, but you can change it using maximum_page_limit option in [api] section in the airflow.cfg file.

Tasks

• [x] Airflow 3 readiness
• [x] Parse OpenAPI Spec
• [x] Safe/Unsafe mode implementation
• [x] Parse proper description with list_tools.
• [x] Airflow config fetch (specifically for page limit)
• [ ] Env variables optional (env variables might not be ideal for airflow plugins)