Commercial Fixed Wing
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 0.2
Other / Unknown; Situational Awareness
Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Airport; Human Factors
The ceilings were low and weather was IFR. I was working Local. I was scanning the runway when someone over the frequency said 'Watch your runway'. I looked towards the approach end of RWY 22L; within a second of doing so; Aircraft X broke through the clouds and was left of course. I stated 'Aircraft X; you're off course go around.' Aircraft X responded 'We're going around; Aircraft X'. Recently the terminal lights were replaced. They are much brighter than they used to be. Perhaps Aircraft X got disoriented with the terminal lights and mistook them for the runway lights. The terminal and RWY 22L are not too far from each other.
MDW Controller reported aircraft misaligned with runway; possibly aligned with new bright terminal lighting.