Cora is being tested in NZ by air taxi company Wisk.

Passenger trials of self-flying taxis are planned for Christchurch, although there is no indication when they will take to the city's skies.

The Government announced on Tuesday it has signed an agreement supporting Californian company Wisk (the new trading name for Zephyr Airworks) and planning for the trial is underway.

Wisk has been quietly testing its flying vehicle Cora – an autonomous, electric machine that takes off like a helicopter carrying two passengers up to 100km at speeds up to 150km/h – in Tekapo since October 2017.

WISK/SUPPLIED The Cora is an emissions-free electric flying taxi prototype that can travel up to 100 kilometres at 150kmh.

Specific details for the trial including timeframes and proposed routes are currently being worked out, but it could be some time before the trials start.

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Cora will need certification from the Civil Aviation Authority before the trial can begin. Authorities say there will be several phases to the trial, with "rigorous safety controls at each step".

WISK/SUPPLIED Wisk, the company behind prototype flying taxi Cora, have made an agreement with the NZ Government as they work towards trial flights carrying passengers.

Christchurch is aiming to establish itself as a centre for new transport and aerospace technology.

Wisk chief executive Gary Gysin said the company was delighted to have signed the agreement which would "propel Cora's entry to the air taxi market".

"We see this agreement as a sign of confidence in our product and abilities to develop and deliver a safe and reliable air taxi service."

Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods said the Government saw "great potential" in developing an unmanned aircraft sector in New Zealand, and was in a "prime position" to work with companies to safely test here.

"As well as the economic and social benefits the growth of this industry offers, we also share Wisk's vision of a greener, emission-free way for Kiwis and visitors to New Zealand to get around.

"Enabling the emergence of an entirely electric air taxi service is a natural fit with New Zealand's zero carbon goal by 2050."

Woods said the trial would need Government, industry, and key groups at national and local level to work together to create a plan.

Cora is intended for people taking short trips they typically take by car, to combat the growing problem of vehicle congestion on the ground.

Those behind Wisk include former staff from Google, NASA, Boeing and Honeywell such as Sebastian Thrun, a former Google employee considered the "godfather" of the self-driving car. The business is reportedly funded by Google co-founder Larry Page.

Dozens of other companies are also working on flying taxis, including Uber, Boeing and Audi.

In 2018, Wisk and Air New Zealand signed an agreement to "work collaboratively" to make autonomous electric air travel a reality for New Zealanders, although what that meant was not explained further.

Some within New Zealand's wider aviation community have been sceptical about extending drone technology to craft carrying passengers because of safety control issues, and the complexity of developing appropriate regulations.