Airigami is the art of folding paper to make scale model aircraft. (Airplane + Origiami = Airigami … get it?) The current Airigami design was initially developed in the early 1990s at a time when lines such as Herpa and Gemini Jets were nowhere near as widely available, and even when die-cast models were available they represented a limited number of airlines and were rarely current in terms of livery or aircraft types. Even when die-cast models became more prolific, their price tag meant they were out of reach especially for many children who aspired to build collections of their favourite planes.
The Airigami (3G) web site in 2004.Though the basic design for the Airigami models has been around since the early 1990s, Airigami made its internet debut in 2002 with a handful of simple designs that could be constructed with no more than paper, scissors, tape, and glue. (Fun fact: the first Airigami 2G model published online was a Lufthansa Boeing 737-300.) Soon after, 3G was introduced, and over 1,000 designs were published, along with airport ground foils and accessories. 4G followed in 2005, with a few hundred new models. There was even a simplified version of Airigami, named “Airigami 1-2-3.” However, there were just not enough hours in the day to keep Airigami going, and by 2006 the site closed.
Airigami has always been designed to balance accessibility with realism. We are constantly seeking to evolve the basic design principles of Airigami to increase detail and accuracy whilst at the same time ensuring that our designs are not too complicated or time-consuming to build. After a little bit of practice, we estimate that an Airigami model should take between one to two hours to construct. In so doing, we trust that Airigami will remain accessible to all ages … though for our youngest builders we recommend seeking some adult assistance, particularly when using scissors or an Exacto knife to cut out the designs.
The Airigami (4G) web site in 2006.Over the years, even with the Airigami web site gone, the models lived on, and were to be found in various corners of the internet and on Pinterest boards. As it became apparent that there was still a vibrant following (despite the Airigami web site having been closed for over a decade) it was decided that it was time to try again. Airigami returned in 2018 as Papier Avion and Airigami.8 with new designs as well as an archive of designs from the original Airigami site. We also introduced Airigami X, providing our community with the opportunity to submit their own designs using classic Airigami templates. In 2025 Airigami was further upgraded with the release of Airigami.10. We hope that Airigami will continue to make collecting airplane models more accessible to a wide audience. Though some things have changed, the Airigami design has kept on evolving and the community of builders (and designers) has continued to grow. We continue to steadily restore some of the older 3G and 4G models as we find them.
Airigami designs are provided free-of-charge – you should never, ever pay for these designs. However, we strongly urge you to consider donating to Airigami at www.airigami.co. Airigami was established so that the joy of airline modeling can be available to everybody. Please consider making a donation of $5, $20, $50 or whatever you can to help keep Airigami alive and, best of all, free.
