Air

Air

Renewable	Yes
Stackable	No
Tool	None
Blast resistance	0
Hardness	0
Luminous	No
Transparent	Yes
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No
Map color	0 NONE

{
    "title": "Air",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "Stackable"
        },
        {
            "field": "None",
            "label": "Tool"
        },
        {
            "field": "0",
            "label": "(link to Explosion#Blast resistance article, displayed as Blast resistance)"
        },
        {
            "field": "0",
            "label": "(link to Breaking#Blocks by hardness article, displayed as Hardness)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "(link to Light article, displayed as Luminous)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Opacity article, displayed as Transparent)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "(link to Flammable article, displayed as Flammable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "Catches fire from (link to lava article, displayed as lava)"
        },
        {
            "field": "<span style=\"display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; background-color:  rgb()\n; border: 1px solid #888; border-radius: 0.3em; width: 1em; height: 1em; vertical-align: -0.4em; margin-right: -0.1em\"><br></span>  0 NONE\n</span>",
            "label": "(link to Map color article, displayed as Map color)"
        }
    ],
    "invimages": [],
    "images": [
        "Air (shown) JE2.png"
    ]
}

Air is an invisible block used to define empty space where other blocks could otherwise exist; it represents the negative or absence of a block. It is one of the few blocks in the game that players cannot normally interact with.

Cave air‌ is a variant found only underground in carver caves and some generated structures along with features like lava lakes.

Void air‌ is a variant used internally for the 'air' in unloaded chunks and outside of the world height limits (above Y=319 and below Y=-64 in the Overworld, and above Y=255 and below Y=0 in the Nether and the End dimensions).

Appearance

All types of air are completely invisible and unable to be viewed or interacted with directly.

The only exception is that air can be visualized with the use of structure blocks in Save mode: when "Show invisible blocks" is enabled, air is represented as small blue cubes. Air, cave air, and void air are all displayed identically in this manner.

Obtaining

In Bedrock Edition, air cannot be obtained in the inventory without editing. In Java Edition, the block is completely unobtainable. It cannot be obtained with the /give command. Air can be destroyed or created only by the placement or removal of other blocks respectively.

Distribution

Upon world generation, all otherwise empty spaces are occupied by air.

In Java Edition, carver caves and some underground structures generate containing cave air instead, including mineshafts, strongholds, monster rooms, and lava lakes, and void air is used in place of unloaded chunks and above or below the world's buildable area to denote illegal locations for blocks to be put.

Usage

Air, shown at left, is represented by blue cubes within structures. Cave air and void air are also shown as such.

Air shares some properties with non-solid blocks, including allowing the player or mob to move within that space without suffocating, and also to catch their breath if they are drowning in water.

Cave air and void air have no special properties; they function the same as normal air.

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Block	Identifier	Form	Translation key
Air	air	Block & Item	block.minecraft.air
Cave Air	cave_air	Block	block.minecraft.cave_air
Void Air	void_air	Block	block.minecraft.void_air

Fluid	Identifier
Empty	empty

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID	Translation key
Air	air	413	Block & Ungiveable Item	Identical (Numeric: -158)	tile.air.name

History

Java Edition pre-Classic
Cave game tech test							Added air, which is any space devoid of blocks.
							Air currently isn't internally a block.
Java Edition Indev
0.31			?				Air now affects liquid blocks that are horizontally adjacent to it. If air is touching the fluid block, there is a 2⁄3 chance for the fluid block to disappear and make the pool recede, and a 1⁄3 chance for the fluid block to fill the air, making the pool spread.
Java Edition
1.7.2			13w38b				Air is now internally a block.
1.9			16w02a				Air is now translatable into other languages.
1.10			16w20a				Air can now be visualized with the use of structure blocks.
1.13			18w06a				Two new variations of air have been added: cave air and void air.
							Carver caves now generate cave air instead of normal air.
							Void air is now internally used at Y values less than 0 or greater than 255 and in unloaded chunks.
1.15			19w39a				Outlines of air shown by "show invisible blocks" by a structure block no longer have black outlines.
1.18			21w37a				Void air is now internally used at Y values less than -64 or greater than 319 and in unloaded chunks.
Pocket Edition Alpha
Pre-release							Added air.
Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU1	CU1	1.00	1.00	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added air.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0							Added air.

Data history

Java Edition
1.13			17w47a				Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeric ID was 0.

Issues

Issues relating to "Air" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

See also

• Void
• Technical blocks