THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

But American business is not going to sit around waiting for those cementheads to get their shit together. Following the restoration of diplomatic relations, US airlines are making their first moves toward Cuba.

Regular commercial air travel to Cuba has been heavily restricted since 1963. But last month, the U.S. restored formal diplomatic ties with Cuba for the first time in more than 50 years. And with the re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Havana last week, many expect the travel ban to be lifted soon.

David Bach, a senior lecturer in global business and politics at the Yale School of Management, said that regular commercial air service is essential to the process of renewing ties between the estranged countries.

“Politically, it’s incredibly symbolic,” he said.

Airlines aren’t waiting for Congress to lift the embargo, though. They’ve already expanded charter flights to Cuba or announced plans to do so. Charter flights are not part of an airline’s regular schedule.

American Airlines said Tuesday that it would begin nonstop service later this year between Los Angeles and Havana, Cuba’s first direct connection to the West Coast in many years. The airline has operated charter flights to Cuba since 1991.

The charter flights will operate on Saturdays beginning Dec. 12 with Boeing 737s. American plans to offer another Saturday charter flight from Miami to Havana.

Last month, JetBlue began direct charter service from New York’s JFK International, building on its existing charter flights from Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

United, Delta and Southwest don’t currently operate charter flights to Cuba, but spokespersons for all three airlines indicated Tuesday that they were considering it.

Under current law, U.S. citizens can visit Cuba under a narrow set of categories, such as family visits, official U.S. government business, journalistic activity and athletic competitions.

It would take legislation from Congress to lift those restrictions. Similar bills in the Senate and House of Representatives each has at least 40 bipartisan co-sponsors.

Clearing out the deadwood in Congress and repealing dead laws will take awhile, but it will come. Until then, business will do whatever it has to to make a profit.