Swift Air airline released that it decided to cancel the flight from Chicago to Belgrade via Zagreb on Saturday because it received a last-moment information from the U.S. air traffic authorities regarding specific requirements for pilot training.

In January 2011, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) introduced more rigorous rules for pilots employed by over 1.600 U.S. charter and air-taxi companies. Due to security reasons, the pilots are required to pass special trainings.

Swift Air expressed belief that the situation would soon be resolved but it could not specify the exact deadline.

AirPlus company, which sold the tickets for the cancelled flight from Chicago, released that it was notified that Swift Air would not be able to perform the flight due to FAA'a decision some 15 minutes prior to takeoff, when passengers were already inside the plane. The company noted that they are shocked by this event and that they are waiting for Swift Air to issue an official release.

Officials at the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate told Tanjug on Saturday that they have no information as to why Swift Air airline cancelled the flight.

Representative of the Directorate Katarina Andric-Milosavljevic said that the U.S. airline obtained the Directorate's permit for performing direct flights from Belgrade to Chicago via Zagreb, in the period from June 17 to December 29, because the company met all the conditions in keeping with laws and procedures in Serbia.

Air traffic from the Belgrade Airport to the U.S. was terminated in 1992, and the flight from Chicago was supposed to be the first one of the kind after 19 years.

Jat Airways tried to re-introduce flights to the U.S. on two occasions, in 2004 and 2006, but without success. The U.S. air traffic control lists Serbia as a second category country, and the first category is a requirement which the Serbian airline would need to reach so as to obtain a permit for flights to the U.S.

Swift Air was founded in 1997 and holds a seat in Phoenix, Arizona.