Received at Cargo Facility
The cargo has been transferred from the aircraft to the airline's cargo terminal warehouse at the destination airport. The ULD pallets have been broken down, individual packages have been scanned, and the shipment is logged as in warehouse inventory.
What Does RCF Mean in Air Cargo?
The status code RCF (representing Received at Cargo Facility) is a standard milestone defined by the IATA Cargo Interchange Message Procedures (Cargo-IMP). It serves as a key check-in event scanned by airline personnel or cargo terminal operators. Tracking this event provides shippers and logistics providers with end-to-end visibility, ensuring that transit connections, cargo transfer, and customs clearance proceed in an orderly manner.
What to Do Next? (Consignee Advice)
Recommended Steps:
Alert your customs broker or notify party. The paperwork and cargo can now begin the customs clearance process.
Carrier-Specific Naming Quirks
Although the IATA Cargo-IMP standard prescribes the status code RCF, different global airlines and cargo handlers often display this milestone under customized labels. Here is how major carriers translate it:
American Airlines Cargo refers to this as 'Received at Warehouse', DHL Aviation shows it as 'Processed at Gateway', and Delta Cargo displays 'Unloaded at Destination'.
Typical Next Status Milestone
In the standard lifecycle of an air freight shipment, once the cargo passes through the Received at Cargo Facility (RCF) milestone, it is expected to transition into the following phase:
➡️ NFD (Consignee Notified) or AWR (Held for Customs)
Frequently Asked Questions
On your Air Waybill (AWB), the status code RCF represents Received at Cargo Facility. This status notifies shippers and consignees that The cargo has been transferred from the aircraft to the airline's cargo terminal warehouse at the destination airport. The ULD pallets have been broken down, individual packages have been scanned, and the shipment is logged as in warehouse inventory.
The time a shipment remains in RCF depends on carrier schedules and transit phases. Typically, it transitions within 12 to 36 hours. If a shipment remains in this status for several days without updates, we recommend contacting your freight forwarder or broker for clarification.
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