The many assets of our state include the beauty and charm of its tropical remoteness. However, that isolation compounds transportation costs, which are surely among its greatest liabilities.

That isolation — the state from Mainland and global suppliers and each island from the others — is what makes interisland transportation systems critical to the economy and so expensive to maintain.

So when Isle residents heard last week's news that Aloha Airlines had filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in slightly more than three years, the reaction of concern was immediate, followed quickly by the impulse to help out the financially struggling carrier.

And it's the correct impulse. Aloha is an important part of the state economy. The loss of its 3,500 employees would be painful especially on the Neighbor Islands, where it is one of the key employers.

So the state Senate leadership was right to step up and commit to helping Hawai'i's No. 2 airline. It came after a meeting airline executives held with the governor, legislative leaders and key executive staffers before its bankruptcy announcement.

Aloha subsequently said it is looking for a buyer for all or some operations; it is also trying to attract new funding.

But for its part, the state would be wise to offer some cushioning to improve chances that the operations can continue without interruption during the difficult transition period: