Return str in execute if local_filepath was passed as str

airflow/providers/sftp/operators/sftp.py

@@ -101,8 +101,10 @@ def __init__(
         self.confirm = confirm
         self.create_intermediate_dirs = create_intermediate_dirs
 
+        self.local_filepath_was_str = False
         if isinstance(local_filepath, str):
             self.local_filepath = [local_filepath]
+            self.local_filepath_was_str = True
         else:
             self.local_filepath = local_filepath
 
@@ -143,7 +145,7 @@ def __init__(
                 )
                 self.sftp_hook = SFTPHook(ssh_hook=self.ssh_hook)
 
-    def execute(self, context: Any) -> list[str] | None:
+    def execute(self, context: Any) -> str | list[str] | None:
         file_msg = None
         try:
             if self.ssh_conn_id:
@@ -185,4 +187,4 @@ def execute(self, context: Any) -> list[str] | None:
         except Exception as e:
             raise AirflowException(f"Error while transferring {file_msg}, error: {str(e)}")
 
-        return self.local_filepath
+        return self.local_filepath[0] if self.local_filepath_was_str else self.local_filepath

tests/providers/sftp/operators/test_sftp.py

@@ -442,3 +442,18 @@ def test_multiple_paths_put(self, mock_put):
         args1, _ = mock_put.call_args_list[1]
         assert args0 == (remote_filepath[0], local_filepath[0])
         assert args1 == (remote_filepath[1], local_filepath[1])
+
+    @mock.patch('airflow.providers.sftp.operators.sftp.SFTPHook.retrieve_file')
+    def test_return_str_when_local_filepath_was_str(self, mock_get):
+        local_filepath = '/tmp/ltest1'
+        remote_filepath = '/tmp/rtest1'
+        sftp_op = SFTPOperator(
+            task_id='test_returns_str',
+            sftp_hook=self.sftp_hook,
+            local_filepath=local_filepath,
+            remote_filepath=remote_filepath,
+            operation=SFTPOperation.GET,
+        )
+        return_value = sftp_op.execute(None)
+        assert isinstance(return_value, str)
+        assert return_value == local_filepath