Sri Lanka, Feb. 10 -- Airlines increased ticket prices to Sri Lanka from Indian and Pakistani cities as well as from the Middle East after Pakistan government's decision giving the go ahead to the national cricket team to participate in the Pakistan-India T20 World Cup match in Colombo.

Flights to Colombo from India have become three times more expensive than usual. In Mumbai, one of India's busiest international travel markets, direct Economy return fares have climbed well above typical levels. In southern cities like Chennai, where the flight to Colombo is a short one-hour-20-minute hop, prices have steadily climbed alongside demand.

The sharp rise in demand comes amid heightened interest surrounding the Pakistan-India fixture, tradit...