Apache Airflow is a widely-used orchestration tool in data engineering, praised for its versatility and the extensive range of built-in and community-provided operators. However, when existing operators do not meet specific needs, users are encouraged to create custom operators through Airflow plugins, which integrate seamlessly into Airflow’s core and enhance scalability. Building a custom operator involves separating functionality into two main components: Hooks, which manage interactions with external systems, and Operators, which contain task-specific logic. Developers can choose between simple and complex code structures for organizing their plugins, with the complexity often dictated by the number of hooks and operators required. The key to efficient plugin development is maintaining clean separation between components and avoiding unnecessary complexity by matching the plugin's namespace with its package name. This ensures clarity during implementation and troubleshooting. Although the post focuses on basic plugin creation, it highlights the value of exploring Airflow's source code to gain deeper insights and encourages leveraging the open-source nature of the tool for learning and development.