BANGKOK (NYTIMES) – As the coronavirus pandemic cleared Indonesia’s skies of airline traffic, Captain Afwan, an experienced Boeing 737 pilot for Sriwijaya Air, waited.

A former Indonesian Air Force pilot who was widely admired and had more than 30 years of flying experience, he filled his time with Sriwijaya flight simulator sessions meant to ensure that pilots completed the minimum flying hours to keep their licenses. Like many in his Muslim-majority nation, he prayed regularly and advised colleagues to maintain their piety, too.

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