Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus

A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

• a first feeder configured to float and feed a sheet;
• a second feeder configured to feed a sheet;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to cause the first feeder and the second feeder to feed a sheet,
• wherein the first feeder includes:
• a sheet stacker on which a plurality of sheets are stacked in a stacked state;
• an air blower configured to blow air from a lateral side of the plurality of sheets stacked on the sheet stacker to float an uppermost sheet;
• a suction feeder above the sheet stacker, configured to suck a sheet floated by the air blower and feed the sheet in a feed direction;
• a remaining amount detection sensor configured to detect a remaining amount of sheets stacked on the sheet stacker;
• and
• a feed detection sensor configured to detect the sheet fed by the suction feeder,
• wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
• determine whether the remaining amount of sheets in the first feeder is smaller than a threshold;
• cause the first feeder to perform a feeding operation of feeding the sheet floated by the air blower to the suction feeder in response to a determination that the remaining amount of sheets in the first feeder is equal to or greater than the threshold;
• cause the first feeder to try the feeding operation in response to a determination that the remaining amount of sheets in the first feeder is smaller than the threshold;
• and
• cause the second feeder to feed the sheet instead of the first feeder in response to a detection of absence of a sheet by the feed detection sensor.