Definition
A controller or facility receiving control of an aircraft from another controller or facility.
Plain English
The controller who is taking over responsibility for your flight from the controller who was just handling you.
Context Anchor
Seen in air traffic control coordination and handoff discussions; pilots usually notice the result when ATC tells them to contact the next frequency.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots need to know exactly which controller is now responsible for their clearance, altitude, and routing after a handoff so they contact the correct frequency and comply with the right instructions.
Intuition Check
Do not read “receiving” as the controller simply listening to a radio call. Here, it means the controller who is taking over responsibility for the aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
After the handoff, the receiving controller cleared us to descend to 8,000 feet.
Example Sentence 2
The receiving controller cleared the flight to a new altitude and gave a heading to join the arrival.