Vietnam Airlines has identified Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) as a possible strategic partner as part of the flag carrier's partial privatisation plan, local media quoted its president as saying on Tuesday. 

President and chief executive Pham Ngoc Minh named ANA, which raised US$1.6 billion via a share offer in 2012 to fund purchases in Asian airlines, as one of several firms in the running for a 20 percent stake up for grabs in the airline, the Vietnam Economic Times reported.

Several other newspapers carried similar stories on Tuesday naming ANA as a possible partner.

Minh last month told Reuters Vietnam Airlines was in talks with several possible partners, but it would prefer to choose only one.

A spokesman for ANA declined to comment on the reports and officials with Vietnam Airlines could not be reached for comment.

Valued at US$1.5 billion, Vietnam Airlines is allocating a stake of just 5 percent in an initial public offering (IPO), with the state retaining control of three-quarters of the company initially. The airline accounts for about half of Vietnam's air travel market, which is one of the fastest growing in Asia.

The Vietnam Economic Times also quoted Minh saying the airline would list on a stock exchange within a year of the IPO, without specifying which bourse.

The IPO has been repeatedly delayed since the plan was first announced six years ago and it looks set to be delayed further having been initially scheduled for this month.