Recently I flew Emirates from Sao Paulo, Brazil (GRU) to Dubai and back. Both landing and take off from Dubai was on the tarmac. After a fourteen and a half hour non stop flight passengers had to hup their cabin luggage down the stairs and be bussed to the terminal when we landed in Dubai. On the way back also we were bussed to the aircraft and I saw many a passenger struggle to climb the stairs with their cabin luggage in tow.

Does this happen to Emirates flights to and from South America? What have other passengers experienced? I dont mind it, but I was going to book my mom on this flight and now have second thoughts. She is physically able but doesnt see too well and would have a problem tackling the stairs even with very light hand luggage, especially on the GRU DXB flight which lands at night in Dubai.