Indian aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has warned airlines against taking advantage of the strike by Air India pilots and increasing the fare beyond the point they have already increased.

The move comes after ministers voiced concerns over rising fares in the parliament. The regulator observed that the private airlines have increased their fares by upto 20 per cent on certain sectors amid strike and pointed out that the cost of operation has not increased significantly recently and ths the airlines must not increase their prices further.

The order from the DGCa read, "It has been brought to the notice of the DGCA through search of websites of airlines and media reports as well as feedback from air travellers that fares on certain high demand sectors have registered a sudden spurt, which is almost 15 to 20 per cent higher on various metro routes compared to a month ago."

It found that the cost of operation of scheduled airlines have not seen any major change over the past few months and thus there is reason for an increase is fares by airlines in the country. DGCA asked the airlines t make sure that their fares remains within the price bands allowed.