THE Solomon Airlines wants the COVID-19 PCR tests requirement removed for the development of the country’s tourism sector.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Gus Kraus said they are still working on this matter with the national government because this requirement can be removed under the COVID-19 National Oversight Committee (NOC).

“Now the border is open, we still have to deal with the government on the matter of PCR tests.

“We are trying to convince them that if we review the PCR test for Solomon Islanders coming back, it will also be helpful towards tourism development in the country.

“We still discussing it and hopefully the government will remove it,” Mr Kraus said.

Mr Karus said Fiji, Vanuatu and other Pacific countries have removed the PCR tests, requirement and Solomon Islands would be the last to do so.

He added the airlines is hoping the government will hear its advice and come up with a plan to do away with it.

PCR tests have been hailed as the gold-standard in detecting and isolating COVID-19 cases but they are more expensive than antigen tests and need a laboratory to process.

By LACHLAN EDDIE Solomon Star, Honiara