Two Israeli officials told Reuters the flydubai co-pilot said he planned the cockpit attack before joining the airline. UAE and Israeli authorities had not confirmed the account.
The flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking his captain told UAE interrogators he planned the attack before he was hired, two Israeli officials with knowledge of the probe told Reuters.
A third source briefed on the UAE investigation said the co-pilot, an Omani national, had planned to crash Wednesday's flight into Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, and had earlier operated a flight to Tel Aviv and considered hijacking it then, Reuters reported. UAE and Israeli authorities and flydubai did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The UAE prosecutor general has said the co-pilot of flight FZ1073, bound for Israel from Dubai, attacked the captain with an emergency crash axe in what the prosecutor called a terrorist attack. Passengers and crew subdued him. The aircraft was carrying more than 170 passengers and crew, earlier Reuters reporting said.
Two sources told Reuters the co-pilot is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami. UAE authorities and flydubai have not publicly confirmed that name. Reuters said it could not independently reach him in UAE custody.
The motive inquiry is continuing, the prosecutor general has said, and findings will be released after required procedures. The planning account rests on officials describing interrogations, not on a published transcript.