Just to add to a previous post,
You can not have pasengers on board an aircraft when refueling with Avgas.
No airport want to have passengers hanging round on the ramp while the aircraft is being refueled. Thus passengers have to go landside and back and hence need not only customs but immigration.
As an example, most countries that require a Visa do not require one for transit passengers but other countries require certain nationals to have transit visas even if they never leave the airside.
So please remember that it is not just customs but also immigration, health, agriculture, security services and so on who are part of the entry and exir requirements.
If there was no where else to go and lack of fuel was a safety issue then it would be right for the pilot to insist on landing however, they could expect to have to remain in the aircraft for however many minutes (or hours) it takes the proper authorities to arrive.
However without knowing the exact airport, it is not possible to say for sure if the actions were normal or correct.
Regards,
DFC
Last edited by DFC; 24th September 2007 at 21:33.