Maersk to resume Middle East-US East Coast sailings through Suez Canal

HELSINKI, July 9 (Reuters) - Maersk said on Thursday it would resume sailing its Middle East-to-U.S. East Coast service through the Suez Canal, as the Danish shipping group takes another step toward restoring routes through the Red Sea.

The company said westbound transit times would improve by an average of seven days, while eastbound sailings would be up to 14 days faster.

"The route through the Suez and the Red Sea is the fastest, most sustainable and most efficient way to serve customers with transport between India, Middle East and the U.S. East Coast," the company said in a statement.

(Reporting by Essi Lehto; Editing by Jan Harvey)