Chinese startup Ehang says its autonomous passenger drones could soon be flying in the skies of China's biggest cities, making the country one of the first in the world to roll out such a project.

Ehang announced a pilot project with the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, in which it plans to set up three or four regular flight routes for passengers to take, the company's co-founder Derrick Xiong told CNBC on Wednesday.

That could take place either this year or in 2020, Xiong said.

If that happens, China would be the first country to carry out such a program where passengers are able to travel in autonomous flying vehicles. Other places like Dubai are also looking into it, carrying out tests, but have not announced programs that resemble Guangzhou's.

Ehang is not the only company pushing forth autonomous drones. Both Airbus and Boeing have tested their own versions of this technology in the past two years, while German startup Lilium is another player in the game.

For many of these companies, their vision is a world full of flying taxis that are able to provide a new form of urban transport, particularly in areas where traffic is a problem.