SAS filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection last year as it struggled to slash costs and debt amid strikes by pilots. SAS hopes to raise 9.5 billion Swedish crowns ($863 million) in new equity and convert 20 billion crowns of debt into equity. They could include Sweden's family-owned Wallenberg foundation, which currently holds a 3.4% stake in SAS, or Danish pension funds, he said. Once that is done, SAS can begin proceedings to exit chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which could be late this year or next year, Pedersen said. It is not clear if SAS will be taken off the Swedish stock market after exiting bankruptcy protection.

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Persons: Johan Nilsson, Apollo, Jacob Pedersen, Gerald Engstrom, Pedersen, Johannes Birkebaek, Jacob Gronholt, Mark Potter Organizations: SAS Airbus, Kastrup, Scandinavian Airlines, TT News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Scandinavia's, SAS, U.S, Italy's ITA Airways, Portugal's TAP, WHO, Apollo Global Management Inc, European Union, Wallenberg, Private, Lufthansa, ITA Airways, Thomson Locations: Kastrup, Denmark, Rights COPENHAGEN, Danish, Copenhagen, EU, Europe, SWEDEN, NORWAY, Swedish, Sweden, Private Swedish