Aerospace giant Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) has announced plans to lay off 141 employees across several Florida locations, including sites in Titusville and the Kennedy Space Center.

The layoffs are set to begin on Jan. 17, 2025, according to a Nov. 15 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act letter.

The job cuts will affect 18 sites statewide, including Central Florida locations such as:

• Building K6-1094, Kennedy Space Center
• Building M7-360, Kennedy Space Center
• Building M7-505, Kennedy Space Center
• Tow Way Road, Kennedy Space Center
• One site without an address at Kennedy Space Center
• 100 Boeing Way, Titusville

At least 26 employees at Kennedy Space Center and 20 in Titusville will be impacted, with additional cuts planned in other Florida cities like Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, and Fort Walton Beach.

In a statement to Orlando Business Journal, Boeing attributed the layoffs to its need to “align workforce levels with financial realities and a more focused set of priorities.” The company emphasized its commitment to supporting affected employees during the transition.

Boeing, which has more than 170,000 employees worldwide and 2,348 in Florida, has faced financial pressures in recent years. For the first nine months of fiscal 2024, the company reported $51.28 billion in revenue, a drop from $55.78 billion during the same period in 2023.

CEO Kelly Ortberg outlined several challenges in an Oct. 23 statement, including customer dissatisfaction, high debt, and operational lapses. Despite these hurdles, Ortberg highlighted positive signs, such as a backlog of $500 billion in projects and employees returning from a recent strike.

“It will take time to return Boeing to its former legacy,” Ortberg said, “but with the right focus and culture, we can be an iconic company and aerospace leader once again.”

The layoffs add to ongoing concerns for workers in the Space Coast area, where Boeing plays a key role in the aerospace industry. In 2023, the company spent over $1 billion with suppliers in Florida, underscoring its economic influence in the region.

As the aerospace sector continues to evolve, the upcoming layoffs highlight the challenges faced by legacy companies like Boeing, even as the Space Coast maintains its reputation as a hub for innovation and exploration.

For affected employees, Boeing has promised transitional support, but the long-term impact of the job cuts on the local economy remains uncertain.