RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s authorities for civil aviation and communications said air navigation in the Kingdom is safe from interference from 5G networks. The General Authority of Civil Aviation and the Communications and Information Technology Commission issued a joint statement saying that navigation systems in the Kingdom’s airspace and airports are safe from potential interference from 5G mobile networks. The statement said frequencies used in air transport ensure that air navigation is unaffected and meet requirements to provide high quality navigation services in which the highest levels of air safety are applied. GACA said it is constantly working on updating and developing air navigation infrastructure and is closely following technical developments, including new standards for the frequencies of the 5G network in order to meet the increasing needs of air traffic and its rapid growth in the region whilst maintaining the highest standards of safety. The CITC confirmed that the frequency bands of the 5G network in the Kingdom adhere to technical standards compatible with international best practices for more than 40 countries worldwide. The commission added that it is a national regulator of the frequency spectrum and enables and supports various radio services for national sectors in the field of defense, security, space, aviation, communications, and meteorology. Some flights to and from the US were canceled on Wednesday over fears the rollout of the high-speed wireless service could interfere with aircraft technology that measures altitude. International carriers that rely heavily on the wide-body Boeing 777, and other Boeing aircraft, canceled early flights or switched to different planes Wednesday following warnings from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Chicago-based plane maker over possible interference with radio altimeters. US Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon began 5G service in the US on Wednesday without major disruptions to flights after the launch of the new wireless technology was scaled back. The firms spent tens of billions of dollars to obtain 5G licenses last year, but aviation industry groups have raised concerns about possible interference with airplanes radio altimeters, which can operate at the same frequencies and are vital for landing at night or in bad weather. Both AT&T and Verizon this week agreed to scale back the launch of 5G near airports following an outcry from US airlines, who had warned the roll-out would cause mass disruptions.