LATAM Airlines Chief Executive Roberto Alvo said on Thursday he expects the region´s largest carrier to be operating at half of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2020, and that a full recovery was unlikely for at least 3-4 years.

LATAM filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection last month, aiming to restructure $18 billion in debt. It was the world's largest airline to date to seek an emergency reorganization due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alvo said the company plans to file a $2 billion plan with the U.S. bankruptcy court in the coming days to address the crisis.

(Reporting by Fabian Cambero, writing by Dave Sherwood)