I don't think you even need a MacBook Air. I've always used Linux for development. If you're not tied to MacOS, get a Thinkpad with Ryzen + Radeon. It will run better on Linux. If you want the MacOS experience, get a Air.
Irrespective of what you get, you cannot do serious compute on a laptop. Because actually using it at full power kills your battery.
Irrespective of what you get, you cannot do serious compute on a laptop. Because actually using it at full power kills your battery.