I was listening to RFI this afternoon
The French think he was a Sri Lankian convert to Islam who was definitely trying to carry out a terrorist suicide bombing, but not a very professional one. Probably not part of an organized cell, rather an amateur 'jihadi' who thank heavens had more inspiration than brains (as in, why didn't he simply go into the bathroom to attempt to light the detonator device to the explosive in his shoes?).
He tried to board a plane earlier on Friday in Paris but was turned away for unspecified reasons. Too bad his shoes weren't examined that time.