CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Brazil's Azul eyeing bid for whole of LATAM Airlines, CEO says

(Corrects name of Azul interviewee to CEO John Rodgerson)

SAO PAULO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Brazilian airline Azul SA is interested in buying the whole of Chile's bankrupt LATAM Airlines Group and is ready to make an offer if creditors fail to agree on a restructuring plan, Azul chief executive John Rodgerson told Chilean newspaper Diario Financiero on Monday.

"We know exactly what we will offer," Rodgerson said in the interview, adding that Azul would likely have to wait until Nov. 23 when a statutory limit on reaching a restructuring plan runs out.

Reuters previously reported https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/azul-looking-buy-bankrupt-latam-airlines-brazil-operation-source-says-2021-05-26 that Azul was only interested in buying LATAM's Brazilian operations, but in the interview with Diario Financiero, Rodgerson said the plan was to buy and hold on to the whole company.

"We would buy the whole asset. I believe that the group has a lot of value and we're not thinking of splitting or selling divisions," he said.

Rodgerson said that if LATAM manages to agree a restructuring, Azul would not be able to make its offer, but that all indications were that such an agreement would not be reached.

In an emailed response to a request for comment, LATAM said the company "is not for sale" and would not comment on Azul's intentions.

The company said it is preparing to deliver its restructuring plan this year. (Reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer Editing by Marguerita Choy)