El Al was established by the Israeli government in November 1948. Initially offering a weekly service between Tel Aviv and Paris in 1949, the airline began flying to many European destinations the same year, with services to the United States and South Africa starting in 1951. Following delivery of their first Boeing 707–420 in May 1961, the carrier started flying scheduled New York City–Tel Aviv flights—the longest non-stop route flown by any airline at the time.