An air filter, in particular for purifying combustion air for an internal combustion engine, composed of an essentially metal-free filter insert which forms a hollow cylinder having end disks arranged on the axial end faces of the filter medium of the filter insert, one end disk forming a closed end of the filter element and having a handle element extending axially away from the filter element, and the other end disk being constructed as a hollow cylinder having a concentric, elastic, radially-acting gasket.