Last updated: November 3, 2026
GitHub Copilot in JetBrains Air is now an official option in the Air agent picker. You can run Copilot coding tasks on your existing Copilot subscription in a JetBrains IDE or in isolated cloud environments through Air Teams, and cloud tasks bill to your Copilot plan instead of JetBrains AI credits.
Contents
- What changed at a glance
- How to set up local tasks
- How to run cloud tasks
- Where cloud tasks run
- Billing, plans and admin controls
- Local tasks compared with cloud tasks
- Tips for power users
- Frequently asked questions
GitHub announced the integration on November 3, 2026, in the GitHub changelog. It uses the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), the open protocol JetBrains and Zed developed so that coding agents and development environments can talk to each other.
JetBrains Air is the JetBrains system for working with several coding agents in parallel. You can use it in JetBrains IDEs through a plugin, in the browser through Air Teams, and with terminal agents from the command line, according to the JetBrains Air product page.
What changed at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Announced | November 3, 2026, GitHub changelog |
| Where it appears | GitHub Copilot in the Air agent picker |
| Protocol | Agent Client Protocol (ACP) |
| Local tasks | Run in your JetBrains IDE with project context and IDE tools |
| Cloud tasks | Run in isolated cloud environments through Air Teams, from the IDE or browser |
| Billing for cloud tasks | Your GitHub Copilot plan, not JetBrains AI credits |
| Cloud requirements | Air Teams-enabled business organization, Copilot subscription, Copilot enabled by an Air admin |
This is not the first time Copilot has worked with Air. In July 2026, JetBrains added support for GitHub Copilot and other ACP agents, connecting to the GitHub Copilot CLI through its ACP server mode. The November release makes Copilot an officially supported choice from GitHub and adds cloud tasks billed to the Copilot plan.
How to set up local tasks
Local tasks run on your machine inside the IDE. GitHub lists three steps, and the Air plugin handles the rest.
- Install Air in your JetBrains IDE. It is available as a plugin on JetBrains Marketplace and natively in the 2026.3 EAP builds of JetBrains IDEs.
- Open Air and select GitHub Copilot in the agent picker.
- Connect your GitHub Copilot account.
- Start a session. JetBrains says you can double-tap Ctrl anywhere in the IDE to open a prompt window with your current context attached.
- Review the changes. Open diffs from the session, check them with IDE tools, and leave line comments for the agent to act on.
The Air in IDEs announcement from October 1, 2026, notes that Air ships with no agents installed and sends nothing until you sign in to an agent or a JetBrains AI plan. With a third-party subscription such as Copilot, data goes directly to that provider, not through JetBrains.
How to run cloud tasks
Cloud tasks keep running after you close your laptop. They need a JetBrains account in an Air Teams-enabled business organization, a Copilot subscription, and an Air administrator who has enabled Copilot. GitHub describes two routes.
- Browser: open Air in your browser, connect GitHub under Settings > VCS Providers, and create a task. Choose the repository and remote branch, select GitHub Copilot, and send your prompt.
- IDE: use the Air plugin in your JetBrains IDE and choose Cloud in the environment selector.
JetBrains says Air Teams is available to its business customers now, with access for individual customers planned later. Cloud runs are rolling out gradually to remaining customers.
Where cloud tasks run
GitHub says a Copilot cloud task in Air runs in a Docker container on a fresh virtual machine. All traffic passes through a proxy, and no state carries over between tasks, so Copilot can build, test and install packages without touching your local setup.
The JetBrains post on cloud agent sandboxing in Air adds detail. The VM is treated as untrusted and is never reused. By default the proxy allows only a preset list of trusted source control and package registry domains, such as npm. Teams can add domains, allow all domains, or turn internet access off.
Secrets are stored encrypted and passed to the task as environment variables. Each task acts within the developer’s own repository permissions, so it cannot see a repository that developer cannot already access. JetBrains says microVMs are coming soon.
Billing, plans and admin controls
Cloud tasks draw on your Copilot plan. For how Copilot metering works, see our guide to Copilot premium requests. GitHub lists four limits to plan around:
- Subscription checks: connecting Copilot to Air does not request Copilot permissions. Air may check subscription or credit availability only when the cloud environment starts, and the task fails if they are unavailable.
- Plan selection: you cannot choose whether a task uses your personal Copilot plan or your organization’s plan.
- Usage visibility: Air governance and analytics do not include Copilot usage.
- Admin controls: Air admins can disable Copilot through a governance policy but cannot set Copilot spending limits in Air.
Local tasks compared with cloud tasks
Both modes use the same agent picker and review flow. The differences are where the work runs and what you need.
| Aspect | Local task | Cloud task |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your machine, inside the JetBrains IDE | Docker container on a fresh cloud VM |
| Requirements | Air plugin and a connected Copilot account | Air Teams-enabled business organization, Copilot subscription, admin approval |
| Started from | The IDE | The browser or the IDE Cloud environment selector |
| Billing | Your Copilot subscription | Your Copilot plan, not JetBrains AI credits |
| State between tasks | Your working copy or a temporary worktree | None carried over |
| Network | Your own connection | Through a proxy with a default allow list |
GitHub says you can keep using the existing GitHub Copilot plugin for JetBrains IDEs alongside Copilot in Air and pick the workflow that suits each task.
If you already use Copilot cloud agent features on GitHub, compare this with Copilot Automations and GitHub Copilot Fusion. For the JetBrains agent that ships with Air, see our Junie Eco mode guide. Another editor built on ACP is covered in our Zed agent guide.
Tips for power users
- Use temporary worktrees for parallel local sessions. JetBrains says you can start from any branch and cherry-pick the result back when it is ready.
- Watch cost per session. Air shows what each session costs as you work, but Copilot cloud usage is not in Air analytics, so check it on GitHub.
- Add needed domains before a cloud run. A build that pulls from a private registry will fail behind the default proxy list.
- Keep secrets in Air project settings rather than in prompts, since they reach the task as encrypted environment variables.
Frequently asked questions
What is GitHub Copilot in JetBrains Air?
It is an integration, announced by GitHub on November 3, 2026, that lets you pick GitHub Copilot in the JetBrains Air agent picker and run coding tasks on your existing Copilot subscription, either locally in a JetBrains IDE or in isolated cloud environments through Air Teams.
Do Copilot cloud tasks in Air use JetBrains AI credits?
No. According to the GitHub changelog, Copilot cloud tasks run through Air Teams use your GitHub Copilot plan rather than JetBrains AI credits. If your Copilot subscription or credits are unavailable when the cloud environment starts, the task fails with an error in the session.
What do I need to run Copilot cloud tasks in Air?
You need a JetBrains account in an Air Teams-enabled business organization, a GitHub Copilot subscription, and an Air administrator who has enabled Copilot. You can then start tasks from Air in the browser or from the Air plugin in a JetBrains IDE.
Can Air administrators limit Copilot spending?
No. Air administrators can turn GitHub Copilot off through a governance policy, but they cannot set Copilot spending limits inside Air, and Air governance and analytics do not include Copilot usage. Spending controls stay on the GitHub side.
Is the Copilot cloud task environment isolated?
Yes. GitHub says each cloud task runs in a Docker container on a fresh virtual machine, all traffic goes through a proxy, and no state carries over between tasks. JetBrains adds that the proxy allows only trusted source control and package registry domains by default.
Sources
- GitHub Copilot is now available in JetBrains Air (GitHub Changelog, November 3, 2026)
- How Cloud-Based Agent Sandboxing Works in Air (JetBrains Blog)
- A New Agentic Experience: JetBrains Air in IDEs, EAP Now Open (JetBrains Blog)
- What’s new: Air gets more agents, local models, and Java/Kotlin code intelligence (JetBrains Blog)
- JetBrains Air product page
Image: GitHub mark (Octicons) by GitHub, MIT license, via Wikimedia Commons, and JetBrains logo by JetBrains, public domain (trademarked), via Wikimedia Commons. Placed side by side on a white background and resized. GitHub and Copilot are trademarks of GitHub, Inc.; JetBrains and Air are trademarks of JetBrains s.r.o. FreeAnswers is not affiliated with either company.
