Normally compiling should use the default SWF version of the AIR SDK you're using (which for AIR 32 and 33.0 would be SWF version 43), unless you've specifically created a SWF with a newer version somehow (AIR 33.1) or you've set up a different value in your Compiler Options. Like @joshtynjala mentioned, I'd check your compiler options in your module settings in the build configuration you're using in Intellij IDEA:
https://www.jetbrains.com/help/idea/compiler-options-tab.html
Make sure you haven't set --swf-version=44 anywhere in the compiler options.
If you don't notice that anywhere, have you used the newer AIR 33.1 SDK for creating any SWFs, SWCs, or ANEs for this project? That's the only other reason I would think it would be looking for version 44, if some component of the app was built with 33.1 already and you're using the older 33.0 to compile.