A Concorde parked on the tarmac is a rare sight at the Halifax International Airport, but the crippled jet wasn't the only spectacle sending waves through the airport.

An engine problem caused an Air France Concorde on a flight from New York to Paris to make an emergency landing at the Halifax International Airport Wednesday morning. The 47 passengers and nine crew eventually continued their journey to New York in a less luxurious aircraft, but not before causing a stir in the normally placid airport.

After touching down in Halifax, it wasn't long before a buzz about who might be among the passenger list swept through the airport.

Airport employee Joan Bellefontaine was one Haligonian thrilled with her apparent brush with celebrity. She's sure she spotted rocker Rod Stewart wandering through the airport. Mitchell could hardly contain her excitement, "It was a real thrill I'm telling you just to see them in the airport in Nova Scotia was worth a lot."

Airport food court Burger King employee Elizabeth Dilleman maintained her composure when face-to-face with the rich and famous. Dilleman took a lunch order from notorious supermodel Naomi Campbell.

"She came over and she ordered her meal, and she gave us a hundred dollar bill in American money, which we can't accept," Dilleman recalls. There was no word on whether Campbell got away with a free lunch.

Although she didn't talk to the supermodel, airport employee Denyse Mitchell was equally thrilled with her encounter. She spotted Campbell slinking through the crowds, "She was wearing what looked like one of those big Dr. Seuss hats and big sunglasses trying to keep herself hidden I guess," Mitchell said.

Officials with the airline wouldn't offer details of what happened to the supersonic jet, but did concede that one engine showed a technical problem during flight. The Concorde's pilots are remaining in Halifax until the problem can be diagnosed.

"We will bring back some mechanics from New York to see what has to be done," Frank Simian, general manager of Air France in Canada, said from Montreal.

Another Concorde was forced to land in Gander, Nfld., in July 2000 when the British Airways plane lost speed and began reeking of fuel during a London-to-New York trip.

That aborted flight came less than a week after an Air France Concorde caught fire and crashed just outside Paris, killing 113 people.

The Concorde, the elite transport of the rich and famous, has been considered among the world's safest aircraft since its launch in 1969.

With a report from Canadian Press