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Where in the FAA regulations is that the case? As long as the aircraft carries a standard airworthiness certificate and your operation holds an appropriate operating certificate (Part 91, 125, 135, or 121) and the applicable manuals that go along with that operating certificate, *ANY* aircraft can be used for commercial service, regardless of its heritage.
I had done some research on using the C-2 Greyhound for oil field resupply operations several years ago when it looked like some may come available on the market, and the local FSDO indicated that they'd have no problems with such operations as long as I had the aircraft certified with Standard Certificates and I was operating as a part 135 charter carrier (there were concerns with operating off paved strips under part 125).
Here's the rub with most warbirds - they were never designed with the modern FARs (or even the FARs as they were at the time) in mind and cannot, without some major (read expensive) modifications, meet the requirements to receive a Standard airworthiness certificate. It has nothing to do with whether the government wants warbirds certificated, it has everything to do with wanting to have *SAFE* planes certificated.
Also, to state as you have that no warbirds are used to carry people around, you ignore the Commemorative Air Force and the fact that many of our transports (C-46, C-47, etc) hold standard airworthiness certificates and as long as the crew is properly certified (commercial pilot's license in most cases, although in certain cases a private license is all that is required under the CAF's LOA with the FAA on this matter) they can carry paying passengers on the aircraft at a price which is in excess of "portion of cost" which governs most flying by non-standard certificated aircraft or aircraft operated by private pilots.
Go into the FAA's database and search through the various warbird types out there. You'd be surprised how many have a Standard Airworthiness certificate. In fact, my former employer, Air Tahoma, operates 2 former T-29s and a VT-29B that have been converted to freighters in revenue service. 2 of the aircraft are flying daily out of Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands for FedEx. Desert Air flies a 4th T-29B (formerly of Air Tahoma) in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. There are several other T-29 & C-131s in revenue service still and there are also several C-116s in revenue service as well.
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