diff --git a/.nextchanges/air/active-runs-empty-message.md b/.nextchanges/air/active-runs-empty-message.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..71e55247c87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.nextchanges/air/active-runs-empty-message.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+* `air list` now reports `No active runs found.` for an empty active-only result. ([#7276](https://github.com/databricks/cli/pull/7276))
diff --git a/cmd/air/list.go b/cmd/air/list.go
index 4b5c623eccc..b80c644d17e 100644
--- a/cmd/air/list.go
+++ b/cmd/air/list.go
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ Filters:
 			warnIfTruncated(ctx, fetcher)
 			return renderEnvelope(ctx, listData{Rows: rows})
 		}
-		return renderListText(cmd, fetcher, limit)
+		return renderListText(cmd, fetcher, limit, !allStatus)
 	}
 
 	return cmd
diff --git a/cmd/air/list_tui.go b/cmd/air/list_tui.go
index 636836a84a0..10ce1ca76dc 100644
--- a/cmd/air/list_tui.go
+++ b/cmd/air/list_tui.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import (
 // renderListText renders the table for text output: an inline navigable table in
 // a terminal (paging in older runs on demand), otherwise printed once. JSON is
 // handled by the caller.
-func renderListText(cmd *cobra.Command, f *runFetcher, limit int) error {
+func renderListText(cmd *cobra.Command, f *runFetcher, limit int, activeOnly bool) error {
 	ctx := cmd.Context()
 	out := cmd.OutOrStdout()
 
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func renderListText(cmd *cobra.Command, f *runFetcher, limit int) error {
 			return err
 		}
 		if len(first) == 0 {
-			_, err := io.WriteString(out, "No runs found.\n")
+			_, err := io.WriteString(out, emptyListMessage(activeOnly))
 			return err
 		}
 		_, err = tea.NewProgram(
@@ -53,10 +53,21 @@ func renderListText(cmd *cobra.Command, f *runFetcher, limit int) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	warnIfTruncated(ctx, f)
+	if len(rows) == 0 {
+		_, err = io.WriteString(out, emptyListMessage(activeOnly))
+		return err
+	}
 	_, err = io.WriteString(out, staticListTable(r, rows, color))
 	return err
 }
 
+func emptyListMessage(activeOnly bool) string {
+	if activeOnly {
+		return "No active runs found. Use --all-status to include runs that are no longer active.\n"
+	}
+	return "No runs found.\n"
+}
+
 // staticListTable renders the whole table once, with no selection — used when
 // piped or non-interactive.
 func staticListTable(r *lipgloss.Renderer, rows []listRow, links bool) string {
diff --git a/cmd/air/list_tui_test.go b/cmd/air/list_tui_test.go
index 50dfa7706f1..583cc570c07 100644
--- a/cmd/air/list_tui_test.go
+++ b/cmd/air/list_tui_test.go
@@ -183,6 +183,11 @@ func TestStaticListTable(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "No runs found.\n", staticListTable(r, nil, false))
 }
 
+func TestEmptyListMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.Equal(t, "No active runs found. Use --all-status to include runs that are no longer active.\n", emptyListMessage(true))
+	assert.Equal(t, "No runs found.\n", emptyListMessage(false))
+}
+
 func TestStatusColor(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, colGreen, statusColor("SUCCESS"))
 	assert.Equal(t, colAmber, statusColor("RUNNING"))