AtlasGlobal (Istanbul Airport) is in the "final stage" of securing a dry-leased A330-200 twinjet, due to join the Turkish carrier's fleet by November 2018, Chief Commercial Officer Nevzat Arşan told Forbes.

"We are aiming to receive two [A330s]. The first one [should arrive in the] beginning of November. The second one in March [2019]," Arşan said.

ch-aviation has learned that the first aircraft will be msn 700, currently registered as EI-GEX. The ex-TAM Linhas Aéreas, 2005 vintage unit is stored at México City International and owned by AELF - Aircraft Engine Lease Finance.

The units will be equipped with lie-flat business class, unlike the three A330-200s AtlasGlobal currently wet-leases from Egypt's Air Leisure (Cairo International).

The incoming A330 will be first used for services out of Istanbul Atatürk to each of Baghdad and Tehran Imam Khomeini during the Winter 2018/19 season, as well as on the carrier's charter network out of Antalya. Arşan added that it could also be deployed to London Stansted and Moscow Sheremetyevo instead of normally used narrowbody Airbus jets during the peak season.

The wet-leases of the three A330-200s from Air Leisure will conclude at the end of October. The Turkish carrier does not operate any other widebodies.