DUBAI: Airfares to Colombo have surged ahead of the India vs Pakistan fixture at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, with some round-trip tickets from major Indian cities climbing to about Dh4,000 and higher for travel around the match weekend. The spike has been most pronounced for departures on Feb. 14 with returns on Feb. 16, when availability tightened across direct and connecting services.
The International Cricket Council schedule lists India vs Pakistan for Sunday, Feb. 15 at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The match has drawn travelling supporters from India, Pakistan and the Gulf, adding pressure to inventory on short-haul routes into Sri Lanka’s main gateway and pushing up fares displayed on airline sales channels and travel booking platforms.
From Mumbai, fare listings for match-window travel showed round trips around Dh2,367, while higher-priced options included Air India at about Dh4,792 and IndiGo near Dh3,589. Connecting itineraries also rose, with some routings via Chennai listed around Dh2,769. One-way prices on the Mumbai-Colombo sector were generally lower outside the peak return window, but the weekend combination drove the steepest increases.
From Delhi, match-weekend round trips were listed around Dh4,845, including SriLankan Airlines options around Dh4,431 and Dh4,066 on select flights. Other Indian gateways showed similar jumps. In Chennai, where flight time is roughly 80 minutes, match-weekend listings included IndiGo at about Dh2,280 and SriLankan around Dh2,155. Bengaluru and Hyderabad also saw elevated prices for the same dates, with listings including SriLankan near Dh3,664 and IndiGo around Dh2,436 from Bengaluru, and IndiGo around Dh3,265 and Dh2,849 from Hyderabad.
UAE routes add capacity
Airlines flying between the UAE and Colombo reported higher demand as the match approached, with additional seats added on select days. John Thomas, sales manager at FitsAir in Dubai, said the carrier added flights from Dubai to Colombo, with two departures on Feb. 12 and one on Feb. 16, and increased capacity on the route. He said some services were already around 60% full and that return economy fares started from Dh1,150 after the added flights.
SriLankan Airlines also reported stronger bookings from the UAE. Gayani Jayawardene, the airline’s sales manager for Dubai and the Northern Emirates, said SriLankan operates 11 flights a week and that passengers include a mix of nationalities. The carrier’s published fare calendars show that prices vary widely by date and inventory, with some off-peak round-trip economy offers on non-match periods notably lower than match-window levels.
Entry requirements and travel planning
Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration says its visa-free regime for seven nationalities, including India, has been extended until further notice and provides 30 days validity, with entry terms set out in the approval notice. Sri Lanka’s official Electronic Travel Authorization information pages state that a 30-day tourist ETA can include a double-entry facility within the validity period, and that extensions may be available through immigration services subject to the applicable rules and fees.
The fare surge has been concentrated around the Feb. 14 to Feb. 16 travel window tied to the India vs Pakistan match in Colombo, with the steepest prices appearing on limited-seat direct flights and late-booking itineraries. Airlines and travel platforms continued to show rapid price movement as remaining seats thinned, while additional capacity from Dubai offered some lower-priced options compared with the highest fares listed on India-Colombo routes. – By Content Syndication Services.