A 71-year-old Johannesburg man suffered a broken jaw and head injuries after a taxi driver beat him up at OR Tambo International Airport.

The incident has prompted private investigators to begin a hunt for the suspect.

Intelligence Bureau shared on their Facebook page that at 10.20am on Sunday‚ the elderly man went to OR Tambo to pick up his son‚ who was flying in from Cape Town.

He was attempting to parallel park into a parking bay at the domestic arrivals terminal when a Toyota Etios cut him off and took the parking.

The man stopped his car‚ got out‚ shouted at the driver and kicked his tyre.

"The taxi driver got out his car and pushed the victim on his neck. There was a scuffle. An airport security guard intervened. Shouting continued as the taxi driver picked up his three passengers and loaded their bags into the Etios‚" said Intelligence Bureau.

“He then went over to the driver's side of the car and reached for what appears to be a weapon - possibly a pipe or knuckle-duster. He went over to the victim and punched him in the jaw. It’s believed this shattered his entire jaw.

"The driver punched him a second time on the side of the head‚ causing skull fractures.

"The third punch knocked him down and he hit his head on the concrete. The driver walked over‚ looked at him and then calmly walked off to his car and drove off."

On arrival in Johannesburg‚ instead of the happy family reunion he was expecting‚ the son walked out the airport to find paramedics working on his father.

The father is now fighting for his life in hospital‚ said Intelligence Bureau.

The company is now "urgently looking for information and assistance" in connection with the assault.

"Why was this man allowed to drive off and disappear? It’s unacceptable. Why has he not been arrested yet? If he’s a registered taxi driver‚ they must be able to trace him and bring him to justice."

Police and the Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) have been approached for comment.

This is a developing story.