diff --git a/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/README.md b/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/README.md
index c24f3bdab49ba..796e16c12c615 100644
--- a/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/README.md
+++ b/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/README.md
@@ -398,6 +398,7 @@ This command runs the Python tests for a airbyte-ci poetry package.
 ## Changelog
 | Version | PR                                                        | Description                                                                                               |
 |---------| --------------------------------------------------------- |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| 1.4.6   |[ #31087](https://github.com/airbytehq/airbyte/pull/31087) | Throw error if airbyte-ci tools is out of date                                                            |
 | 1.4.5   | [#31133](https://github.com/airbytehq/airbyte/pull/31133) | Fix bug when building containers using `with_integration_base_java_and_normalization`.                    |
 | 1.4.4   | [#30743](https://github.com/airbytehq/airbyte/pull/30743) | Add `--disable-report-auto-open` and `--use-host-gradle-dist-tar` to allow gradle integration.            |
 | 1.4.3   | [#30595](https://github.com/airbytehq/airbyte/pull/30595) | Add --version and version check                                                                           |
diff --git a/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/pipelines/commands/airbyte_ci.py b/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/pipelines/commands/airbyte_ci.py
index 7cd3d55903481..b14a4d1a6bada 100644
--- a/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/pipelines/commands/airbyte_ci.py
+++ b/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/pipelines/commands/airbyte_ci.py
@@ -35,19 +35,27 @@
 
 def check_up_to_date() -> bool:
     """Check if the installed version of pipelines is up to date."""
-    # get the version of the latest release, which is just in the pyproject.toml file of the pipelines package
-    # as this is an internal tool, we don't need to check for the latest version on PyPI
     latest_version = get_latest_version()
     if latest_version != __installed_version__:
-        main_logger.warning(f"pipelines is not up to date. Installed version: {__installed_version__}. Latest version: {latest_version}")
-        main_logger.warning("Please run `pipx reinstall pipelines` to upgrade to the latest version.")
-        return False
+        upgrade_error_message = f"""
+        🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
+
+        airbyte-ci is not up to date. Installed version: {__installed_version__}. Latest version: {latest_version}
+        Please run `pipx reinstall pipelines` to upgrade to the latest version.
+
+        🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
+        """
+        raise Exception(upgrade_error_message)
 
     main_logger.info(f"pipelines is up to date. Installed version: {__installed_version__}. Latest version: {latest_version}")
     return True
 
 
 def get_latest_version() -> str:
+    """
+    Get the version of the latest release, which is just in the pyproject.toml file of the pipelines package
+    as this is an internal tool, we don't need to check for the latest version on PyPI
+    """
     path_to_pyproject_toml = LOCAL_PIPELINE_PACKAGE_PATH + "pyproject.toml"
     with open(path_to_pyproject_toml, "r") as f:
         for line in f.readlines():
diff --git a/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/pyproject.toml b/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/pyproject.toml
index 7e28fb07aafd3..d2a286ac8f300 100644
--- a/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/pyproject.toml
+++ b/airbyte-ci/connectors/pipelines/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "poetry.core.masonry.api"
 
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "pipelines"
-version = "1.4.5"
+version = "1.4.6"
 description = "Packaged maintained by the connector operations team to perform CI for connectors' pipelines"
 authors = ["Airbyte <contact@airbyte.io>"]