Airflow, Unlocked: Why Orchestration Is the Backbone of Data & AI in 2026 and Beyond

Event Overview

Every AI initiative lives or dies on the pipelines behind it - and Apache Airflow has quietly become the standard that data and AI teams build on. But running Airflow well, at scale, is a different challenge than running it at all.

Join Astronomer for a fast-paced 45-minute session on why orchestration matters more than ever, where Airflow is headed next, and how Astro turns open-source power into enterprise-grade reliability, security, and speed. We'll break down what you actually get with a managed Airflow platform and how Astro stacks up against self managed OSS, Amazon MWAA, and Google Cloud Composer on the things that matter most: flexibility, version currency, support, and total cost of ownership.

Whether you're evaluating orchestration options or just want a sharper read on where the ecosystem is going, you'll leave with a clear picture of the roadmap and the tradeoffs , plus time for live Q&A.

Start your day the Dishoom way! Everyone who registers for the breakfast briefing will receive a complimentary Dishoom Breakfast Kit, delivered to their door two days before the event. On the day, simply unbox your breakfast, settle in, and enjoy a delicious Dishoom-inspired experience while connecting, learning, and sharing ideas with us.

What you'll learn:

• Why Airflow is the de facto standard for data/AI pipelines — and what's next on the roadmap
• Where Astro adds reliability, security, observability, and speed on top of OSS Airflow
• How Astro compares to MWAA and Google Cloud Composer head-to-head

Agenda

Welcome & Introductions

• Meet the speaker and overview of today’s session.

Airflow Awareness & Vision for Airflow

• Why orchestration matters now.
• Why Apache Airflow has become the de facto standard for data and AI pipelines.
• The future of Airflow and what’s coming next on the roadmap.

AI Use Cases & Astro Overview

• Common AI and modern data platform use cases.
• How Astro builds on open-source Airflow with improved reliability, security, observability, deployment speed, and lower operational overhead.

Astro vs. Other Managed Platforms

• Side-by-side comparison of managed Airflow options.
• Flexibility.
• Version currency.
• Enterprise support.
• Multi-cloud portability.
• Total cost of ownership.

Live Q&A

• Audience questions and discussion.