The Emirates plane was diverted to Colombo where it landed safely, an airport spokesman said.
"Emirates flight EK413 from Sydney to Dubai...Was diverted to Colombo due to a technical fault," the airline said in a statement without giving details about the nature of the problem.
"The aircraft landed safely at the Bandaranaike International Airport and passengers were transferred to other Emirates flights," the Emirates statement said and apologised to passengers for any inconvenience.
Fire fighting crew and emergency units had been placed on stand by.
