Air Cargo Tracking Status Codes Explained: BKD, RCS, DEP, RCF, NFD and More

You type an air waybill number into an airline’s tracking page and get back a row of three-letter codes: BKD, RCS, MAN, DEP, ARR, RCF, NFD. For many importers the only one that makes sense is the last one they are hoping for. Yet each code marks a specific handover in the journey of your cargo from a Chinese airport to Dhaka, and reading them properly tells you not only where the shipment is, but whether something has gone wrong and who needs to act. This guide explains the standard air cargo status codes, what each one means for a China to Bangladesh shipment, and which patterns should prompt a call to your forwarder.

Where the codes come from

Airlines and ground handlers exchange cargo messages in formats standardised through IATA, the international airline association. One of these message types is the freight status update, usually called FSU, which reports an event against a specific air waybill: the cargo was received, loaded, departed, arrived, and so on. Each event uses a short code, and because the codes are shared across the industry, the same code means the same thing whether the airline is Chinese, Middle Eastern or South Asian. Tracking portals simply display these messages, sometimes translated into plain words, sometimes not.

Two practical points follow. First, tracking only works on the number the airline knows. If your cargo moves under a consolidator, the airline tracks the master air waybill, not the house air waybill your forwarder gave you; our guide to house vs master air waybills explains the difference. Second, status updates depend on staff scanning and systems sending messages. A gap in the updates does not always mean the cargo has stopped moving — sometimes the message simply has not been sent yet.

The main status codes in journey order

Code	Meaning	What it tells you
BKD	Booked	Space has been booked on a flight; the cargo may not yet be at the airport
RCS	Received from shipper	The airline or its handler has accepted the cargo and documents at origin
FOH	Freight on hand	Cargo is physically at the terminal but may not be fully accepted yet
PRE	Prepared for loading	Cargo has been built up onto a pallet or container for a flight
MAN	Manifested	Cargo is listed on the flight manifest
DEP	Departed	The flight carrying the cargo has left
TFD	Transferred	Cargo was handed to another carrier, often at a transit hub
ARR	Arrived	The flight has arrived at an airport; the cargo is not necessarily checked in yet
RCF	Received from flight	Cargo has been physically checked into the arrival warehouse
NFD	Notified for delivery	The consignee or agent has been told the cargo is ready for collection
AWD	Documents delivered	The arrival documents have been handed over
DLV	Delivered	Cargo released from the airline’s custody to the consignee or agent
DIS	Discrepancy	Something does not match: pieces, weight, documents or damage

Not every shipment shows every code, and some portals show extra ones such as CCD for customs clearance at origin or regional variations. But this sequence is the backbone of almost every air shipment from China to Dhaka.

Reading the gaps between codes

The codes themselves are less informative than the time between them. A few patterns are worth recognising:

• BKD for a long time with no RCS. The cargo has not reached the airline yet. The delay is on the origin side — the factory, the trucking to the airport, or the forwarder’s warehouse — not with the airline.
• RCS but no DEP for several days. The cargo was accepted but has not flown. Causes include space shortages, peak season embargoes, security screening holds, or a document problem. Our peak season and embargo guide explains the space side.
• DEP at origin, then a long pause at a transit airport. Many China to Dhaka routings go through hubs. Cargo can wait there for a connecting flight with space, which shows as ARR at the hub without a new DEP.
• ARR in Dhaka but no RCF. The flight landed but the cargo has not been checked into the warehouse yet. Short gaps are normal during busy periods; long gaps may mean the cargo was offloaded elsewhere or is still being broken down.
• A split in piece counts. If the status shows only some of the pieces departed or arrived, the shipment has been split across flights. See our guide to split air shipments.

The DIS code and why it needs fast action

A discrepancy message is the one status code that should never be ignored. It means the handler has found a mismatch: fewer pieces than the air waybill states, extra pieces, a weight difference, missing documents, or visible damage. Discrepancies are much easier to resolve when they are raised quickly, while the cargo is still in the same place and the staff involved can check. If you see DIS, ask your forwarder immediately what the discrepancy is and at which station it was recorded.

Damage discrepancies have a particular importance because they affect claims. If cargo is recorded as damaged on arrival, that record supports a later claim. If you collect the cargo without noting visible damage, a claim becomes much harder. The time limits for notifying the carrier under the air waybill conditions are strict, as explained in our article on air waybill conditions and carrier liability and our cargo damage claims guide.

What happens after NFD in Dhaka

For an importer in Bangladesh, NFD at Dhaka is the start of a new phase rather than the end of the journey. At that point the cargo is in the airport cargo complex, and the clearing and forwarding agent needs the delivery documents, the bill of entry has to be lodged and assessed in ASYCUDA World, duties and taxes must be paid, and any examination completed before the goods can leave. The airline’s DLV status often appears only when the cargo is physically released after customs clearance.

This is also when warehouse storage charges at the airport begin to matter, because they generally accumulate after the free period while cargo waits for clearance. Having your documents ready before the flight lands — commercial invoice, packing list, air waybill copy and any permits — shortens this phase considerably. Our guide to Dhaka airport cargo clearance walks through it, and pre-arrival processing explains how to lodge early.

A worked example of reading a tracking history

Suppose a shipment of electronic components from Shenzhen shows BKD on Monday, RCS on Tuesday afternoon, and then nothing until Friday. On Friday it shows MAN and DEP on a flight to a hub, then ARR at the hub the same night. On Sunday it shows DEP from the hub, ARR in Dhaka, and RCF a few hours later. NFD appears on Monday morning. Reading this, the three-day gap between RCS and MAN was at origin after acceptance, which suggests a space or screening delay rather than a factory problem. The hub connection was quick. The shipment then followed the normal arrival sequence. If an importer had seen RCS followed by silence and asked on Wednesday, the forwarder could have explained whether the cargo was waiting for space or held for screening — our article on air cargo security screening covers that second possibility.

Common mistakes when tracking air cargo

• Tracking the house number on the airline site. Airlines only recognise the master air waybill; ask your forwarder for it or for their own tracking link.
• Treating ARR as ready for collection. Arrival of the aircraft is not the same as the cargo being checked in and notified. Wait for RCF and NFD.
• Ignoring partial piece counts. A shipment showing fewer pieces at arrival may be split; do not clear and collect as if it is complete without confirming.
• Collecting without checking damage. Note any visible damage before signing for release, or your claim may be weakened.
• Waiting until NFD to prepare documents. Clearance time, and storage cost, start the moment the cargo is ready.

For the wider picture of how air shipments are planned, read our air freight booking guide and the e-AWB explainer, which covers the electronic documents behind these status messages.

DE International books air freight from China to Dhaka and keeps importers informed at each status change, from acceptance at origin to release after customs. See our services, the China sourcing and buying agent service, the shop, or contact us — rates and transit depend on your cargo and route, so ask us for a quote built around your shipment.