My iPad Air seems to be stuck at iOS 12.4.9. How can I update it to 14?

Sorry, not possible.

A first generation iPad Air can only be updated to iOS 12.4.9. Later models of iPad Air will have updated to iPadOS13 or later; iOS 12.4.9 was only released recently.

Not sure which iPad you have? Identify your iPad model.

Apple ended major update support for iPad Air1 in September 2019 - since receiving only “point” security updates - the most recent being iOS 12.4.9. An iPad Air1 cannot be updated to iPadOS 13 (or any later major versions of iPadOS) as the internal hardware does not meet the minimum technical requirements (CPU and RAM) for new versions of iOS/iPadOS.

Some App developers have dropped support for iOS versions preceding iOS 13.x for technical reasons (often because APIs or software libraries upon which they rely have been updated in the new version of iPadOS, making their App incompatible with earlier versions). 

Whilst many App titles remain compatible with your iPad Air1, if you want or need to access to Apps requiring the most recent versions of iOS, you’ll need to consider replacement of your iPad with a newer or current model that supports iPadOS13/14.

I hope this information provides helpful clarity as to your available options - and the limitations of your existing iPad Air.

I am thinking of replacing my first gen I pad air with the latest iPad Air, loading it with the max memory etc. Just curious, how long would you expect the newest model to last before this problem recurs and also the problem of shortened battery life. I am 75 years old and I am old school enough to wish for this sophisticated bit of technology to last longer than me. I am an artist and photographer and though I appreciate the iPad Air , I am disappointed in general with the lack of longevity in Apple products. My two cents.

On your iPad go to Settings > General > About and make note of the model number of your iPad. Then do a Google search with that number and you should be able to see what generation iPad Air you have.

Yes, your iPad is “stuck” with iOS12.x.

You might consider that even the entry-level iPad8 is considerably more powerful than the original iPad Air, supports iPadOS14 - and benefits from additional features and hardware support (such as Apple Pencil).

By comparison, the “just released” iPad Air4 is lightyears ahead of the iPad Air1 - and in some benchmarks can outperform the current flagship iPad Pro models.