2025 Airport Business Top 40 Under 40: Sam Sprague, AICP

• Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
• Alma Mater: University of Cincinnati
• What’s one airport that inspires you? New Dominica International Airport

For more than 15 years, Sam Sprague has been helping airports navigate their most pressing challenges while shaping long-term strategies for growth and resilience. As a Senior Managing Consultant at Landrum & Brown, he has built a career defined by technical precision, stakeholder collaboration, and a genuine commitment to mentoring the next generation of aviation professionals.

Sprague’s portfolio includes work on airport master plans, facility programming, site development, and airfield planning at facilities of all sizes. His most extensive contributions have come at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, where he has supported more than 100 planning tasks over nearly a decade, coordinating with the FAA, airlines, and airport leadership to keep projects moving forward. Known for his ability to translate complexity into clarity, he has become a trusted advisor to clients and colleagues alike.

Beyond project delivery, Sprague is recognized as a mentor and industry educator. He has served as a Young Professional Mentor at the ACC/AAAE Airport Planning, Design & Construction Symposium and has taught airfield layout and design at the University of California, Berkeley’s annual Airport Systems Planning and Design Short Course. His American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) credential underscores his commitment to professional excellence and ethical practice.

For Sprague, the appeal of aviation is the variety and constant evolution. “Every airport is different, and that’s what makes this work exciting,” he says. “I want to leave behind a legacy of solving challenges with both sound expertise and fresh ideas.”