Abu Dhabi International Airport has announced it is ahead of schedule on its Midfield Terminal.

It completed the first buttress for steel arches on Sunday (October 20th), which it states is a week early.

The 7000,000 sq m facility will be one of the world's largest terminals - bigger than Heathrow's Terminal 5 when it opens in 2017 and will increase the current capacity to 30 million annual passengers within the first year of opening.

Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports Ali Majed Al Mansoori said: "Achieving this milestone is a significant step along the path of developing world-class airport infrastructure for Abu Dhabi, and its goal of becoming a vital transportation hub for the region."

Earlier this month, the airport announced the start of a service between Abu Dhabi and Manilia by Philippine Airlines that will operate five times a week. A similar service between the UK and Manilia by the same airline was announced at Heathrow in September.

Etihad Airways will also use the complex as a central hub for its operations. Its name comes from the fact the Midfield Terminal will be situated in between both the airports existing runways.