The United Arab Emirates (UAE) prosecutor general said on Saturday that the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073, which was bound for Israel, attempted to carry out a "terrorist attack" , according to the state news agency WAM.
The co-pilot was identified as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. A second source briefed on the investigation confirmed the co-pilot’s name.
The co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft, the prosecutor general said.
A crash axe is typically kept in the cockpit for use during emergencies such as crashes. Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances of the incident, the motives and any related connections, as well as to examine physical and digital evidence, he added.
The UAE is leading the investigation. The airline is owned by Dubai's government.
The UAE prosecutor general's comments were the first by Emirati authorities to describe the incident as an attempted terrorist attack.
The flight, carrying 174 passengers, transmitted emergency signals and made a rapid descent of more than 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet before safely landing by two reserved pilots at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk city on September 30. Al-Hammami was later taken into custody.
"The alleged attacker is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami," the WSJ report said.
UAE authorities did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of Hammam's identity. While Emirati authorities have not publicly identified the co-pilot, Israeli officials have previously said he is an Omani national. Oman has not commented on the incident.
Several other news publications, including CNN, identified Al-Hammami by name.
CNN, citing two sources and an Israeli official, identified the pilot as Omani citizen Hamam al-Hammami. He was born in the UAE to an Omani father and a Syrian mother and has spent several years of his life in the UAE, it said.
CNN cited another source, a regional diplomat, saying al-Hammami was removed from flight training because of concerns over his radical views and was subsequently given another role at Oman's national airline.
It was not immediately clear to what extent he was vetted before being hired by the UAE-based airline flydubai. News reports suggest he had been working for the airline for about eight months.
On Friday, Captain Smit Machchhar, who foiled the attempted crash bid, spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone, recounting the terrifying moments after being attacked. He said he was fighting for his life but was determined not to let others die.
Machchhar, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the UAE, was hailed as a "true hero" by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu said the injured pilot, passengers and other crew members had "managed to prevent a 9/11 disaster".
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Netanyahu said the attacker shouted "Kill me, kill me!" after being subdued on the flight.
Netanyahu said the remark suggested the attacker was suicidal and that it appeared he had intended to bring down the plane. He also said the attacker had "undergone Islamist radical indoctrination".
(With inputs from PTI & Reuters)