Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot began carrying out his plan during the flight, attacking the captain inside the cockpit with an emergency axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft's controls, according to the state news agency WAM.
The investigation is still under way to determine the full circumstances of the incident, its motives and any related links, Al Shamsi said.
It will also include technical examinations and the examination of physical and digital evidence, he said, adding that the final findings would be announced once the necessary procedures had been completed.