The Lingle administration is emphatically pushing the "don't panic" button in the wake of Aloha Airlines' cargo unit closure on Monday, a development that left numerous businesses scrambling for ways to get imports or exports between the Islands.

Officials contend that the truly critical goods that must move quickly have found alternative routes and that, for the remainder, the private sector is capable of finding new carriers.

To a large extent, they are right. Many of the shippers may revert to barge items that are less time sensitive. Or, for the short term, they may find a workaround, redirecting cargo from the Mainland directly to Neighbor Islands through other carriers.

But this is not a message to be read in isolation. Taken together with global economic trends, the signs collectively point to tough times in Hawai'i's future.

And even in the specific Aloha case, there are smaller businesses — produce farmers come to mind — that must be struggling to find their way forward.

They may find it cost prohibitive to compete for the statewide market and could use outreach.

Beyond the immediate disruption in the transport of perishables and other air freight, the latest disheartening development at Aloha, compounded by the other recent contractions in the tourism industry, could produce ripple effects in the economy, and that should concern state leaders.

The failed attempt to auction the cargo service, in the wake of the closure of its sister Aloha passenger service, has thrown 300 more workers into the unemployment lines. Economists are still saying that Hawai'i's job market can absorb these losses.

The governor has said she doesn't anticipate any shortages to result that would compel her to call an emergency. And some economists maintain that the Aloha episodes, the Molokai Ranch closure and other upheavals arose in distinctly different circumstances and are not symptomatic of economic doldrums.

Regardless, events that unfold in rapid succession can have a cumulative impact on the pocketbooks of average Isle residents, who are almost certain to face higher prices. This certainly doesn't add a rosy luster to the barrage of bad economic news emanating from the Mainland, which has dampened consumer confidence.

This latest misfortune ought to signal — again — the need for the state to summon a roundtable to reassess plans for weathering this economic down cycle.

Even if Hawai'i stands a long way from any brink of disaster, it would boost public confidence to see state leaders staying on top of the situation — and looking ahead.